Individual System
by Redhazard
Summary: [Slight Crossover] Jaune Arc wants to be a hero. James Ironwood wants to save the world. Professor Polendina? Well, he just wants a guinea pig. Regardless, it's time for a new breed of hero to RISE UP!
1. Don't Say No I

**Let's go!**

* * *

 _AW Year 0_

 _-The monarchs of Mantle, Vacuo, and Mistral bow before the King of Vale, leading to an almost immediate cease in hostilities. Although the term After War would not come into official use until nearly two years later, historians widely consider this to be the beginning of the AW Era._

 _-The ensuing peace talks in Vytal last for almost two months. During them, it is agreed that:_

 _a) Mantle and Mistral take full responsibility for the Great War and agree to pay reparations._

 _b) For their contributions during the Great War, faunus are to be given the island of Menagerie to use as they see fit and must be granted full rights as citizens._

 _c) The four kingdoms agree to abolish slavery. A time frame of five years is set for the liberation of all slaves. It must be noted that slavery only persisted in the kingdoms of Vacuo and Mistral at this point in time._

 _d) The four monarchs agree to cede their power to national councils. The method of election and structure of these councils is left up to the judgment of each kingdom. Ten years are given to finalize this transition._

 _f) The Huntsman system is proposed by the King of Vale. Despite strong opposition from Mantle, all four kingdoms ultimately agree to its implementation. Each kingdom commits itself to the creation of a Huntsman Academy._

 _AW Year 1_

 _-The First Vytal Festival takes place. During the inauguration, the King of Vale gives a speech fostering unity and cooperation. This marks the first official record of the term 'After War' being used to refer to the new era. In a deeply ironic result, Mistral and Mantle take the first and second place respectively._

 _-The Queen of Vacuo becomes the first monarch to step down. Unfortunately, Vacuo's Council would prove to be highly ineffective. Its inability to gain the support of the people would lead to the fracturing and collapse of the kingdom in the years to come._

 _AW Year 2_

 _-Alsius Academy opens its gates._

 _-The Color Movement begins in Vale. Parents start naming their children after colors. The King of Vale voices his support for the movement. In time, the movement spreads to Mistral, then to Vacuo, and finally to Mantle._

 _-The first AW calendar is printed._

 _-Shade Academy opens its gates._

 _-Slavery is officially abolished in Vacuo._

 _AW Year 3_

 _-Nicholas Schnee is born._

 _-Beacon Academy opens its gates._

 _-Due to administrative troubles, the Vytal Festival is postponed. The press questions the wisdom of such a large festival taking place every two years._

 _AW Year 4_

 _-The second Vytal Festival takes place. A Valean warrior claims the gold._

 _AW Year 5_

 _-Haven Academy opens its gates._

 _-Slavery is officially abolished in Mistral._

 _-The Emperor of Mistral steps down. This marks the first successful transition of power in the After War era._

 _AW Year 6_

 _-As tensions rise between Atlas and Mantle, The King of Mantle cedes power to the Council of Atlas to prevent hostilities. The Kingdom of Mantle becomes the Kingdom of Atlas._

 _-Alsius Academy formally changes its name to Atlas Academy._

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Gray Rook fought the urge to yawn as he saw yet another applicant battle against a combat droid.

Once upon a time, the Atlesian Knight 45 (AK-45 for short) had been top of the line equipment. However, times changed, and technology moved forward. Now, the AK-45 was relegated to testing the skills of kids in combat schools all over Atlas.

As one of Atlas' top 3 combat schools, Hyades Academy was no different. In fact, due to receiving quite a bit of funding from the military, Hyades Academy could afford to use AK-45s as part of their entrance exam. Applicants were made to fight against the combat droid on one-on-one matches while a panel of judges watched their performance in a separate room.

Those who defeated the droid received high grades, but victory was not necessary to pass. Judges looked not only for fighting skill, but also adaptability, a cool head under stressful situations, and resourcefulness.

The current applicant showed none of those things.

Rook sought refuge in his coffee to avoid having to watch the blond applicant try and fail to dodge the droid's strikes. Pitiful. The thing was even set at the lowest difficulty. If he were a judge, Rook would have already failed him. However, that wasn't his job.

Rook was a Specialist.

In Atlas, the military worked closely not only with its Huntsman Academy but also with the multiple combat schools all over the kingdom. Hyades was no exception. Rook's job was to keep an eye out for any promising talent and pass the information to his superiors, so they may be taken into consideration. All thing considered, it was a simple job.

It was also a very tedious one.

Watching untrained and half-trained kids fighting was painful. Watching kids who thought they were hot shit just because they could beat a droid or two was even worse. Out of sheer boredom, Rook took a look at the applicant's other test scores. What he found was average from start to finish. Knowledge Assessment. Average. Physical Assessment. Average. Combat Assessment. In-Progress. Aura Assessment. O—

Rook spat his coffee all over the desk, barely managing to get his scroll out of the way in time.

The act drew the attention of the judges. Rook hurriedly raised his hand to assure them he was fine while trying to get his coughing under control. His eyes quickly went back to his scroll. There was no way. It couldn't be possible. Jaune Arc was an untrained teen whose aura was obviously still locked. A scrawny little thing like that couldn't possibly have that type of results.

Yet that was what his screen showed.

Rook frowned. The science of Aura was complicated and best left to those with bigger brains than him. However, even he understood the basics.

The technology to measure someone's Aura had been born in Atlas. It was a tremendous scientific breakthrough at the time and led to the creation of Aura meters which were immediately put to use in the Vytal Festival. In the old days, only special arenas could display Aura meters, but with time, the technology had grown smaller and easier to manufacture. Nowadays, it was as easy as having the right type of scroll.

However, that was only true for those whose Aura was already unlocked. Measuring the Aura of someone whose Aura was still locked was a completely different game.

In fact, until about a year ago, it had been impossible. The technology had been created by Atlas and was still in its testing stages. Only the military, Atlas Academy, and a few combat schools in the kingdom had access to it. Combat schools outside Atlas would have had no way of seeing Jaune Arc's latent aura.

Had they been able to, Jaune Arc would not be here today.

When it came to Aura, there were only three categories that mattered: reserves, control, and Semblance.

Of those three, only control could be reliably improved. Even in cases of extreme ineptitude, the basics of Aura manipulation could be taught in a few years. Meanwhile, increasing a person's Aura reserves was not something that could be reliably done. According to most studies, a person's Aura would grow by about 25% over the first decade of training and usually stop after that.

Semblances were in an even worse position. While there were many theories on the subject, most studies were inconclusive. In the end, it all came down to luck. Some people had Semblances that were naturally suited for combat. Some people had Semblances with limited combat applications. Some people, even among huntsmen, just never discovered their Semblances.

That meant sheer Aura was the most attractive trait in a prospective Huntsman. The skill could be taught. The knowledge could be imparted. The Semblance was a roll of the dice. However, the Aura one started with and the Aura one ended with would remain largely the same.

As Rook looked over Jaune's application papers, he could see that Jaune had applied to combat schools in Vale the year before and had been rejected. Had they realized just how much aura the kid had, they would have accepted him right away.

It was a good thing for Atlas they did not have the technology to do so.

However, Hyades did have those resources.

The Specialist snuck a peek at the other judges. They looked as bored as he had been a few seconds ago. In time, they would check Jaune Arc's other scores, and they would realize the depths of his Aura. If that happened, Jaune Arc would be accepted into Hyades. He would train and grow like any other student and eventually go to Atlas Academy.

Rook couldn't let that happen.

No visible training and substantial Aura reserves. It was precisely what the guys in R&D were looking for. There was no doubt in his mind. Jaune Arc was the perfect candidate for the project.

Rook looked at his scroll. All he needed to do was push a button. Jaune Arc's profile would be sent to his superiors. His admission process would be halted. He would later receive an invitation which, if his application history was any indication, he would accept out of desperation.

Rook once again looked at the small blonde kid getting his ass kicked by a droid. According to his papers, he was fifteen. He looked much younger than that. He probably wasn't even five feet tall.

 _Sorry, kid._

Rook pushed the button.

xXx

Jaune Arc trembled as he stared at his scroll.

One New Mail. That was what his notifications said.

It was pointless to be nervous, Jaune told himself. It was pointless because he already knew what it said. It was a rejection letter. It couldn't be anything other than the same thing he had received from every other combat school he had applied to.

Looking back on things, his initial optimism had been unbelievably naïve. Jaune could see that now. However, back then, he really did think he could get into a combat school. Who cared if he was 14, and thus two years older than what was normal for new applicants? It had taken Jaune a long time to convince his parents to let him apply, but now that he had, he wasn't about to waste the opportunity.

He could do it. He believed in himself!

Those had been his thoughts at the time.

Jaune had braved the motion sickness and traveled all the way to another kingdom to begin his education. He had picked Vale because he wanted some distance from his family. It wasn't that he didn't love them, because he did. He really did. However, going at least one day without being reminded of his shortcomings in comparison to every other Arc would be a welcome change of pace.

Besides, he would hardly be the first Arc sibling that moved to another kingdom. He could even think of it as an adventure.

Jaune winced as he remembered the foolish thoughts that had plagued his mind back then. He had filled out dozens of applications. He had taken all those stupidly long tests. Jaune could honestly say he had given it his all.

It made every rejection all the more painful.

Signal had rejected him. So had Pharos and Watchtower, and every other combat school in Vale. Whatever it was combat schools looked for in their prospective students, it was clear Jaune Arc did not have it. He was too old, too untrained.

Too weak.

That year Jaune Arc did not go to combat school. He returned to Mantle in defeat and went to a regular school. His family hadn't even been surprised about it. If anything, his mother's voice over the scroll when he told her the sad news sounded like she had expected it.

She had expected him to fail.

That hurt more than all the rejections combined.

Maybe that was what prevented him from giving up. As soon as the application period for the next academic year started, Jaune began filling out forms again. He bit the bullet and tried his luck with combat schools in Atlas this time. It wasn't as far away from home as he would like, but as long as he didn't end up near Mantle, things should be alright. Jaune had even gone all the way and applied to Hyades, one of the best combat schools in Atlas.

Hyades' exams had been far more extensive than those of any Valean combat school. They had taken X-rays, blood samples, and made him go through all sorts of machines. He had even fought a droid. Sure, he had lost miserably, but it had been kind of cool. At least, he could now say he had fought a robot. That was something.

Now, one month later, Jaune had their answer.

Jaune stared at the unopened message for minutes. The clock of the hotel room he was staying in ticked loudly at his ears. Sighing, Jaune tapped his scroll. Best to get this over with quickly. As the message opened on his screen, his eyes rapidly dashed past the names and titles to get to the important part.

 _Dear Mr. Arc,_

 _We regret to inform you—_

Jaune's hands tightened around his scroll. If his Aura were unlocked, he'd have broken it. A bitter smile appeared on his face.

Why was he even getting angry? He knew. He knew how this was going to turn out. What else could he have expected?

One chance. That was all he needed. Just. One. Chance.

However, no one seemed to be willing to give him even that.

Jaune slammed his fist against the wall behind him, then promptly flinched as pain shot up his arm.

Damn it!

Jaune gritted his teeth and glared at his scroll. He looked ready to throw it against the wall but managed to stop himself at the last second.

Maybe it was sheer masochism that guided his actions, but Jaune placed it over his lap and kept reading. Jaune's eyes moved over the by now familiar sentences. It was a bit more direct and harsher than the rejection letters he had received in Vale, but the message was the same. He didn't meet their standards. There were many good applicants this year. He was free to try again next year if he wanted.

Next year?

Jaune snorted.

Next year he'd be 16. That would give him only one year to get himself up to the standards of one of the four huntsmen academies. Every year that passed, his dream got further away from him. Jaune frowned and forced his eyes back to the letter, forced himself to keep reading it. It was the only way he could distract himself right now.

Jaune blinked as his eyes reached the next paragraph. Then he reread it, just to be sure he wasn't imagining things.

 _…Hyades Academy is proud to work closely with Atlas Academy and the Atlas military to maximize the Kingdom's future defenders. As such, we are always on the lookout for promising talents. While you did not qualify for admission into Hyades Academy, your test results showed great promise in other areas._

 _We are pleased to inform you that you qualify for a position in Atlas Academy's R &D Department. As a member of the R&D Department, you would be rewarded handsomely and the possibility for future admission into Atlas Academy would be open to you._

 _A message from Atlas Academy will be reaching you shortly._

Jaune Arc was no stranger to being dumbfounded. He had seven sisters. He was master at being dumbfounded. Still, this was a very unique occasion, for he had never found himself quite this dumb before. He stared at his scroll for several minutes, trying to process its content.

Why was this happening? How was this happening? Jaune Arc did not know the answer to those questions. He didn't know anything, and he didn't understand anything. However, once his brain concluded that he was, in fact, not dreaming, there was one thing Jaune did understand.

This was an opportunity.

With every rejection letter, Jaune had told himself that if they had just given him a chance, he would have proven himself worthy. That was all he needed. Just one chance to prove he wasn't a failure. Jaune took a long trembling breath as a beep from his scroll reached his ears. He had mail. He didn't need to look at the sender or the subject to know who it was from.

This was it.

This was his chance. He just needed to be brave enough to take it.

Jaune Arc opened the message from Atlas Academy, and his future changed.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **And so begins a new story. I will try to update this once every two weeks. I wish I could update it weekly like I did with Lonely Nights, but that was super hard, and I have even less free time now. Sorry, everyone.**

 **Now, onto other things. Technically, this fic is a Kamen Rider crossover. However, anyone who has read the original one-shot over at The Jaune-Shots knows the suit is the only crossover element.**

 **Speaking of the people who have read the original one-shot, you probably don't want to skip this chapter. In the original, I jumped straight to Jaune being about to enter the Vytal Tournament. Here, we're going to take the long route with his development. There's a lot of stuff to cover, and I'm going to try to have fun with it. There's going to be action and terrorism and mad scientists (I'm totally using Merlot eventually) and stuff.**

 **It's Atlas time!**

 **July 2020 Note: In Volume 7 it was confirmed Atlas and Mantle are right next to each other (or well, Mantle is below Atlas). In this fic, they are different cities and are pretty far away. Instead, Atlas is divided into upper and lower districts.**


	2. Don't Say No II

**Have any of you seen the Jaune vs Yatsuhashi fight that's floating around online? It's only a few seconds long. Supposedly, it's something Monty was working before he passed away, one of those things that got scrapped because they couldn't fit it in the volume.**

 **Gotta say, if the thing is in any way legit (and it does look like it could be), just about everyone has been seriously underestimating how much Pyrrha's training did for Jaune.**

 **Anyway, have a chapter!**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Atlas Academy stood at the top of the world.

Once upon a time, there had been Alsius, a prestigious combat school in the Kingdom of Mantle. It was located in the middle of a frozen wasteland, several miles away from the capital. However, things did not stay that way for long. Mantle opened a state-of-the-art Research and Development facility near Alsius, and residential areas were created to house the workers. In time, a town was formed around Alsius, a town which grew into a city

The city was called Atlas.

After the Great War, Alsius, the prestigious combat school, was transformed into Alsius Academy, one of only four Huntsman Academies in the entire world. To show they were abiding by the terms of the Vytal Conference, Mantle put its best foot forth forward. They had used their best technology and resources to renovate the school and the surrounding area.

That had been a mistake.

As more and more resources were siphoned over to Atlas, more and more people started moving there, causing the city to experience rapid growth. Meanwhile, Mantle was still weakened from the Great War. As time went on, Atlas continued to grow in power while Mantle's star kept dimming.

The people of Mantle began to worry. In just a few years, Atlas had gone from a project to a threat. Tensions rose between the two cities. People thought a civil war was inevitable.

In the end, it never came to that.

To prevent a civil war, the last king of Mantle had officially recognized Atlas as the new capital of the Kingdom and had ceded his power to the council of Atlas. The rest, as they say, is history. Atlas took Mantle's place in the world stage, and Alsius Academy went on to become Atlas Academy.

Mantle was left behind, alone and forgotten by all except for those who lived there.

However, Atlas' evolution did not stop there.

In the year 34 AW, the four kingdoms collaborated to create Amity Colosseum. At the time, it was a technological marvel, a floating stadium that could travel to any corner of the world. It pushed the boundaries of what people believed possible. It inspired the imagination of many and gave rise to Atlas' most ambitious project.

It was no secret that Solitas was mostly a frozen wasteland. Atlas was a prosperous city, but its population was fast growing past the city's capacity. New territory was needed, and after the construction of Amity Colosseum was finalized, someone had an idea.

Why not just raise a section of the city into the sky and start expanding there?

The idea appealed to Atlas' natural sense of superiority, and the city elite decided to fund the endeavor. The construction had taken over a decade. However, the end result was more than worh it. A city that floated in the firmament. A technological marvel that far eclipsed Amity Colosseum.

Naturally, it was the wealthier sectors of the city that had been selected for the endeavor. The army's headquarters. Atlas Academy. The homes of the rich and powerful. All of it now floated in the heavens. From there, it didn't take long for new areas to be added to the already large floating city.

Officially, the floating city and the land below were both called Atlas. However, the difference in status between those who lived in the skies and those who had been left below was obvious.

In a way, it was almost poetic. Once upon a time, the people of Mantle had been left in the cold. Now, once more, progress left those with fewer resources in the dust while the rich and powerful ascended to the heavens to look down upon creation like gods.

Out of all the buildings in Atlas, it was Atlas Academy that rose above the rest. The school was, in a very literal sense, at the top of the world. Even among Huntsman Academies, it was on a league of its own. It was a place for the elite, the chosen ones.

Jaune Arc did not belong there.

Jaune Arc was a weak fifteen-year-old boy who looked closer to thirteen. He didn't know how to fight or use a weapon. He didn't even have his Aura unlocked. Yes, he very much didn't belong in this place.

Yet Jaune Arc was walking the halls of Atlas Academy.

Even though the school was predominantly white and grey, there was not a speck of dust to be seen. The floors. The windows. The walls. They were all perfectly pristine. It made him all too aware of his simple jeans and overly large hoodie. Stupid! Jaune wanted to slap himself. He should have dressed better for this, but he never thought to pack formal clothing, not that he had much to begin with.

Jaune had half-expected to be turned away the moment he entered Atlas Academy. He had expected to be laughed out of the building for daring to believe the contents of the letter. However, that hadn't happened. Instead, he had been welcomed and told they had been expecting him.

Jaune's eyes nervously darted around. He had never felt so out of place. Even breathing the air here made him feel like he was dirtying it somehow. The few students he crossed in the hallways never failed to give him odd looks.

Just what had he been thinking coming to this place?

"Hey, cheer up," one of the men escorting him said, giving him a friendly nudge. At least, it was supposed to be a friendly nudge, but Jaune was weak and small, so it almost ended knocking him over. "You're in Atlas Academy! You should try smiling a little more. Not everyone gets to see this place. Usually, you'd have an easier time winning the lottery!"

Winning the lottery. That was an apt way of summing up his situation.

"Sorry," Jaune said. "I guess I'm a little nervous."

The man laughed. "Yeah, I guess I can understand that."

The man was one of the two soldiers that had been called to escort him after Jaune had shown up with his invitation letter. He was wearing the standard Atlas soldier uniform: armored boots, black pants, and white body armor that covered his chest, shoulders, and arms. Over his head, he wore a helmet that covered the upper part of his face. There were bits of red on his arms and helmet.

"Just ignore the staring," the other soldier escorting him said. He wore the same uniform as the first one, the only difference being that his was blue where the other one's was red. "It doesn't mean anything. The students are just curious because you aren't old enough to be admitted here."

"They probably think you're the son of some big shot who got his kid a tour or something. It happens more often than you'd think," the red one added, an easy smile on his face. Jaune had some trouble believing that. Him? Important? Not likely.

He may be the only son of Jean and Marie Arc, but that was not a legacy he had ever managed to live up to.

"So," Jaune said, trying to change the subject. "Just what exactly am I here for? The letter said something about a position, but it wasn't all that clear on the details."

Red and Blue looked at each other for a moment. Although there was no way they could see each other's eyes behind those helmets, Jaune was pretty sure they were reading each other's looks just fine.

"I guess you can consider it an interview," Red said after a while.

"An interview?"

"You got scouted for the R&D position, right?" Red asked. Seeing Jaune nod, he continued. "Yeah so, we're taking you to the guy in charge of the project. He's going to ask you some questions, and depending on how you answer them, you might find yourself with a job by the end of the day. Easy stuff."

Jaune paled. He was meeting the guy in charge today?

He was heading to a job interview?

He had never been interviewed before! Oh, why did he have to wear jeans today? He should have bought a suit. Stupid. Stupid!

What had he been thinking?

Well, the answer to that one was easy. He hadn't been thinking. The moment he received a letter from Atlas Academy, his mind had kind of shut down. He had only been thinking this was a chance he could not afford to waste. Now, it looked like he was going to do precisely that.

Argh, he was going to make a fool of himself!

"Don't panic," Blue said, his firm voice stopping Jaune from hyperventilating. "The boss is not going to care about what you're wearing or how you look like. He knows you're a kid. He's not expecting you to be perfect. He just wants to get a feel for what type of person you are."

Jaune blinked. His breathing slowed down. "What type of person I am?"

Red nodded. "Pretty much. Don't mind your clothes or that you're small and scrawny."

Jaune frowned. He didn't have to be so honest about it.

"The Boss mostly cares about character, so chin up. If it helps, we're rooting for you."

Jaune looked up. "You are?"

"Well, yeah. You're Yellow John."

Jaune blinked.

"What?"

"See, it goes like this. I'm Red John. He's Blue John."

"I am," Blue said when Jaune looked at him for confirmation.

"If you get accepted," Red said, "we'll finally have a Yellow John! Do you have any idea how badly I've wanted to gather the Primary Colors Johns?"

"But… my name is Jaune."

Red snorted. "No, it isn't."

xXx

The rest of Jaune's brief tour through Atlas Academy was spent unsuccessfully trying to convince Red that his name was, in fact, Jaune and not John. Had the man not been so insistent on the need for a Yellow John, Jaune would be willing to believe he had started the whole thing just to distract him, because that was exactly what Red John ended up doing. Before he knew it, Jaune was in front of an elevator.

"This is where we part ways," Blue John had told him. "The elevator will take you to the Boss' office. Take deep breaths and stay calm. You'll do fine."

Taking deep breaths was exactly what Jaune was doing right now. All that was left was for the elevator to take him where he needed to be.

It was taking an awfully long time.

Jaune nervously tapped his foot against the floor. Why was it taking so long? Was this guy's office really so high up? Why did people in Atlas have to like tall places so much?

What if the guy in charge didn't like him because he wasn't tall enough? Was that a thing people in Atlas did?

Deep breaths, Jaune reminded himself. Deep breaths. He needed to calm down. It was way too late to back out now. He just needed to not make a fool of himself. He could do it. He could totally do this. Like his dad always said, confidence was all he needed.

Jaune sighed.

Who was he kidding? He totally couldn't do this. He was so going to make a fool of himself.

Oh well, at least he got to see Atlas Academy. That was something.

While Jaune was in the middle of contemplating such uplifting thoughts, a ping signaled the end of the elevator ride. Jaune took a deep breath and steeled himself as the doors opened.

James Ironwood was there.

 _General_ James Ironwood was there.

Jaune was dimly aware that he had stepped out of the elevator. He was in an office of some sort. There was a desk and walls and windows with what he guessed was an impressive view of Atlas. However, his mind couldn't bring itself to focus on such things. His attention belonged to the man in front of him. Jaune might not be the brightest Dust shard in the Schnee mine, but even he recognized this man.

James Ironwood. Headmaster of Atlas Academy. General of the Atlas Military. Holder of two seats in the Atlas Council.

There had never been a king in Atlas. However, James Ironwood might as well be one considering how much authority the man wielded.

And now, Jaune was in his office.

How?

The moment Jaune asked himself that question, the answer came to him. Hadn't Red and Blue told him? He was here to meet the guy in charge of the R&D division that wanted to recruit him. If James Ironwood was in front of him, that could only mean one thing.

James Ironwood was the guy in charge.

Jaune paled.

James Ironwood was going to _interview_ him.

He was so screwed.

"Ah, Mister Arc," Ironwood said, looking up from his desk. "I have been expecting you. Take a seat."

The only reason Jaune didn't immediately make a fool of himself right there and then was that he was frozen in shock. He stayed that way for ten full seconds before doing as Ironwood asked. Jaune's brain was too confused to do anything other than follow orders. With movements so mechanical most robots would be jealous, Jaune sat down in front of one of the most powerful men in Atlas.

He did not gulp, but only because he was too scared to do so.

"Allow me to skip the pleasantries, Mr. Arc," Ironwood said, his hands steepled in front of him. "Do you know why you are here?"

"I…" Oh, his voice. He still had that. Good. "I... got a letter."

Ironwood nodded. "Yes, you did. Here at Atlas, we believe in investing in the future. It is common procedure to have scouts oversee the entrance exams of the top combat schools in the kingdom. You were singled out as a promising candidate for one of our projects."

A smarter, calmer person would have wondered just what Atlas had seen in him. He certainly hadn't put on the best performance during his entrance exam. However, Jaune wasn't that smart, and he was nowhere near calm. He was just grateful he even had this chance, so he just nodded at Ironwood's words.

"After your information was forwarded to Atlas Academy, we ran a thorough background check on you."

Jaune chocked. A background check? On him?

Oh, gods, Atlas had been spying on him. Had they seen his CCTnet history? Did General Ironwood know his CCTnet history? Jaune found himself wishing the earth would swallow him whole. Then he remembered solid ground was about a mile below and realized his wishes would go unheard as they often did.

"I understand this may seem a little intrusive, but try to understand, Mr. Arc. You are being considered for a special project our military is developing together with Atlas Academy." His tone was reassuring yet firm. Jaune found himself instantly comforted by it. "We needed to be sure you had no criminal history to speak of."

It made sense, Jaune supposed. It would suck if they hired a criminal who later sold the information like in those spy movies Saphron liked.

"Of course, considering who your parents are, that was merely a formality in your case," Ironwood said with a calm smile. "However, I must admit something caught my eye when I looked at your file."

Jaune's face, which was just starting to regain a healthy color, quickly paled.

Please, let this not be about his CCTnet history. That would be way too embarrassing.

"According to your file, you only started applying to combat schools a year ago. Why was that the case?"

Jaune pursed his lips as he considered how to best answer that question.

"My parents did not wish for me to become a Huntsman," Jaune said, deciding honesty way the way to go. "It took me a long time to convince them to let me try."

Years. It had taken Jaune years to accomplish that. It had taken that long for his parents to realize his desire to become a Huntsman was not just a passing fancy. However, by then, the damage had been done.

He was too old.

Combat schools usually started training their students at age 12. As one grew older, learning how to control Aura became harder and harder, or so his sister Blanche once told him when he'd asked her about it. It was better for combat schools to start training their students at a young age.

That wasn't to say combat schools didn't take in older students. However, the older the student, the harder the entrance exam. Someone as untrained as Jaune usually had no chance of getting in. There were probably some crappy combat schools out there that would have taken him in, but those places were usually scams. Learning there wouldn't get him ready for a Huntsman Academy.

There were times when Jaune almost thought the reason why his parents had allowed him to apply for combat school was that they knew he'd never make it. However, there was no way that was true.

Right?

"I see," Ironwood said, considering him carefully. "Yet in spite of being aware of your low odds of being admitted into any worthy combat school, you kept applying. Why did you do that?"

Jaune blinked. What sort of question was that?

"Because I want to be a Huntsman." After some hesitation, Jaune added, "Sir."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you wish to become a Huntsman?" Ironwood asked him. "Even though your odds of becoming one were low, you kept trying. It is clearly not because your family is pressuring you into it, so why is it so important to you?"

Why? Wasn't it obvious?

"It's because…" The moment Jaune opened his mouth, he felt Ironwood's stare piercing him. Those steel blue eyes seemed to be peering into his very soul. When faced with that intensity, Jaune lost the words he was so sure of. Suddenly, his answer was not so clear anymore.

Because if he gave the wrong answer, the interview would end.

Jaune somehow understood that. This was it. It was like Red and Blue had told him. Ironwood wanted to know what type of person he was. If he wasn't satisfied with his motives, then General Ironwood wouldn't accept him.

If his motive couldn't satisfy Ironwood, he would never enter Atlas Academy. This was his best shot for becoming a Huntsman, and a single careless word could ruin things for him.

Why did he want to become a Huntsman?

Because he wanted to be a hero, Jaune told himself. That was how it had always been. From the moment his parents had first told him stories about his ancestors, Jaune wanted to be like them. Defeating monsters. Saving princesses. When he was a child, he thought that was the coolest thing ever.

Why was being a hero so important to him? Jaune knew that would be Ironwood's next question.

Did he want to help people? Well, obviously. That kind of went without saying. Helping others was a good thing. If Jaune had to choose between helping someone and not helping someone, he would obviously choose the former. If his career allowed him to help others, then that was a very appreciated bonus.

However, was that his main reason for wanting to become a Huntsman?

No, Jaune realized, perhaps for the first time in his life. It wasn't. He wanted to be a hero and save people, but that wasn't the same as wanting to be a hero because he wanted to save people.

He wanted to be a hero because…

Because he wanted to be strong? Jaune frowned. That sounded close to the truth, yet it was missing something important in order to be right.

What did he want the most?

What was the most important thing about being a Huntsman to him?

"I don't want to be a failure anymore."

The words escaped his mouth almost without him meaning them to, and it was only when he heard his voice utter them that Jaune realized the truth in them.

The disappointment in his parents' eyes whenever he failed to measure up yet again. The pity in his sisters' gazes they thought he didn't notice. The way they were all too nice to just say he wasn't good enough even though everyone felt that way. The shame and unworthiness that festered in his gut every time he thought about the deeds of his ancestors.

He didn't want it. He didn't want to be looked at like that. He didn't want to feel like that.

Gone. Jaune wanted it all gone. He wanted it to stop.

He wanted to change. To be something else. Someone else. Better. Stronger. Braver.

Worthier.

"I am sorry," Jaune said almost immediately after. His gaze dropped to the floor. "I know I was supposed to say something else…"

Something more noble and selfless. Something a real Huntsman would say. Instead, his motive was centered around himself. It was selfish.

It was definitely not the answer Ironwood had wanted to hear from him.

"Why should you have said something else?" Ironwood asked, making Jaune lift his gaze. There was no condemnation in Ironwood's eyes. "Self-improvement is as worthy a goal as any."

"It is?"

Ironwood did not answer him immediately. He let the silence stretch for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. "Mister Arc, every year, I see a new generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses graduate. Every year, I see them die. Trust me when I say I know what it is that makes a good Huntsman, and a selfless motive is not one of those things."

Jaune had no idea how to respond to those words, so he didn't. He stayed silent and let the general keep speaking.

"Perhaps in a perfect world, those with nobler souls would be the ones who always win, but that is not this world. As we speak, there are students being accepted into this academy who only wish to become Huntsmen due to the fame and glory they think the position will bring them. Others wish to become Huntsmen purely due to monetary reasons. Others have… considerably less than moral motives. Only a few of my students can honestly say wishing to save and protect Remnant is their only goal. However, a noble motive is not what matters."

Ironwood's stare suddenly gained intensity, so much that Jaune flinched away from it. Had he not been sitting, he would have backed away a step or two. As it was, he only managed to flatten himself against the back of his seat.

"What matters, Mr. Arc, is whether a person is capable of doing the job or not. What matters is having the resolve to stand against the forces of Grimm when the time comes. Can you say you have that resolve, Mr. Arc?"

"Yes!"

Jaune didn't think about it. He didn't even hesitate to say it. Even if he was weak and pathetic, he would never say he lacked determination. To retreat meant to give up, and to give up meant accepting he would never be anything other than a failure.

That was way scarier than anything in the world.

He wasn't brave, but he was enough of a coward to keep moving forward.

"I… am not very smart, and I know I'm weak, but if you give me just one chance, I know I won't let you down, sir. I will do whatever you need of me," Jaune said. He tried to raise his arm to salute but stopped halfway, not feeling entirely comfortable with the gesture since he wasn't a soldier. His hand just ended awkwardly hanging in the air, almost as if he was about to offer the general a high five. Jaune slowly lowered it when he realized how it looked.

"I see." If Ironwood was impressed or disappointed in any way by his words, he didn't show it. "Tell me, did you ever ask your parents why they never unlocked your Aura."

The sudden change in subject left Jaune blinking. Nevertheless, he replied. "No. They never explained it."

And he had never asked, too afraid to know what the answer might be. If his parents or any of his sisters ever said something like, "We never unlocked your Aura, because you aren't worthy of becoming a Huntsman." Well, Jaune didn't know if he would ever recover from a blow like that. Thus, the question remained unasked.

"In the past, people thought unlocking one's Aura without aid led to a stronger warrior. Those who needed others to unlock their Aura were doomed to never reach their full potential. Many people still believe such things, especially old families like yours."

Jaune's eyes widened.

"That's the reason?"

"I do not claim to know your parents' thoughts, but it would not surprise me if that were the case." As he spoke, Ironwood rose from his seat. It was only then that Jaune realized just how tall and imposing the man was. The effect was further enhanced by the fact that Jaune was sitting.

No, even if he were standing up, the man would still loom over him.

He hated being so short.

"However, such notions are nothing but superstition," Ironwood said as he made his way around his desk to stand in front of Jaune. "Here at Atlas, we have conducted thorough experiments on Aura. I can safely say such ideas have no grounding in reality. You would not believe the amount of valuable time combat schools waste teaching their students to unlock their Aura for the sake of tradition."

Why was Ironwood touching his forehead?

Was he about to-?

"However, I have never been a fan of wasting time."

Jaune had no time to think about Ironwood's words. The moment he finished speaking, he felt it.

His soul.

" _For it is through hardship and determination that we achieve greatness_ ," Ironwood intoned. " _Through them, we become paragons of excellence. Infinite in sacrifice, bound by discipline. I release your soul and place this duty before you_."

Power surged within Jaune. It was like fire spreading through dry wood. Enveloping him. Consuming him from the crown of his hair to the tip of his toes. For the first time in his life, Jaune felt strong, ready to take on the world. He stared at his hands as if seeing them for the first time. A shimmer of pure white aura appeared for an instant, further amazing the young Arc.

He looked up at the one who had done this.

"Does this mean…?"

Ironwood smiled. "Yes, Mr. Arc. I believe you are the right man for the job. How about it? Are you ready to serve your kingdom?"

Jaune did not need to think twice.

"Yes, sir!"

This time Jaune did salute.

xXx

As it turned out, there was a hidden elevator behind Ironwood's office.

Jaune stared straight ahead, his mind torn between being giddy at how good having Aura felt and being nervous because General James Ironwood was standing right beside him and the elevator showed no signs of stopping.

It had shown no signs of stopping for the past five minutes.

Wherever they were going, it was deep. Way deep. They were probably all the way inside the floating city that was Atlas.

"Ah." The moment Jaune opened his mouth he felt stupid. However, he had already attracted Ironwood's attention, so he might as well go for it. "General Ironwood… sir… I know I already accepted the offer, but… you haven't really explained what my job is going to be."

Ironwood smiled. "I am glad you asked."

He couldn't have timed it better. Right at the moment, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened.

"Allow me to be the first one to welcome you, Mister Arc," Ironwood said, stepping out of the elevator.

"Welcome to the IXA Project!"

* * *

 **AN:**

 **There's this rule in mecha anime. You must show the titular robot by episode 1. As I write this, I'm kind of seeing the wisdom in that. I knew I wanted to take time setting everything up, but I worry I might be taking it too slow here. Oh well, live and learn.**

 **Some people may notice I'm playing a bit fast and loose with the established lore of Atlas, mostly taking what I need from WoR: Atlas. I have also seen some people theorize the city below Atlas is Mantle, but I'm keeping them separate for this fic. Here Mantle is a few hours away from Atlas by ship.**

 **By the way, Red John and Blue John aren't OCs. They are the red and blue soldiers that follow Penny around in volume 2. I've decided to give them expanded roles for this story. There are not a lot of Atlas characters to go around.**

 **Next Chapter: Polendina, more exposition, training, and finally, Jaune gets in the suit!**


	3. Don't Say No III

**Time for a new chapter.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

The underground lab was enormous.

While Atlas Academy was all pristine surfaces and composed silence, the lab beneath it was noisy and busy. Everything was in constant movement. There was someone working in every corner. Much like in the school above, there was not a speck of dust to be seen which was impressive considering how full the lab was. Large machines took up most of the floor space. Jaune could barely identify some as computers. Others utterly mystified him.

Most curious of all, however, was the number of droids in the room.

Jaune counted only about twelve people working in the lab. The rest of the work was done by droids.

Most of them were carrying stuff around, but he did see a few working on the computers. They were not like the droid he fought during the entrance exam. These ones were finer and considerably less armored. They looked more advanced than the housekeeping droids he had seen in commercials once or twice, definitely not made for combat.

At least, Jaune was pretty they weren't made for combat. Who really knew? With mecha-shift technology being what it was, it wouldn't surprise Jaune if they could transform into twenty-feet tall armored monstrosities.

Technology was weird like that.

"Just what is this place?"

The question left Jaune's mouth before he even realized he wanted to ask it. On some level, Jaune knew precisely what this place was. The high-tech equipment. The low number of actual people and the high number of droids to take care of all the menial tasks. This was a secret lab. The type one usually saw in cartoons or comic books.

Why had Ironwood taken him here? No, that was another question he already knew the answer to. It was the reason Jaune had come here, after all. He had come here for a position with the Research and Development Division of Atlas Academy. However…

This was way bigger than anything Jaune had anticipated.

When he had first read the letter from Altas Academy, Jaune had imagined his job would be something like getting beat up by droids, maybe work as a test dummy for new equipment. What else could someone like him be good for? Even then, Jaune realized there was no way Atlas didn't have people more qualified than him for those things.

However, it wasn't like he had been in any position to turn down the offer. This might very well be his only shot at becoming a Huntsman. He had to take it, yet now he was starting to get the feeling he was way out of his depth.

Just what was the IXA Project?

Ironwood looked like he was about to answer when a new voice cut in.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

The shout caused both Jaune and Ironwood to look ahead. The person who had just spoken was a short man with a thick beard and a balding head. He had bushy eyebrows, and his hair was pure white. His lab coat looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a while.

"Why have you brought a child to my lab?" The old man asked as he made his way to them.

"Dr. Polendina, it is good to see you as well," Ironwood said, meeting the scientist's glare with an even stare. "This child, as you put it, is Jaune Arc. He is to be IXA's Rider."

Rider?

"Mr. Arc," Ironwood went on, ignoring Dr. Polendina's disbelieving stare, "Meet Doctor Gelato Polendina. He is the lead scientist of the project you will be working on."

Jaune would have tried to shake the man's hand, but the scientist did not look all that happy to see him.

"This child? IXA's Rider? Impossible! How old even is he? Twelve?" Jaune bristled at the insult, but Polendina wasn't done. "No! More importantly, why wasn't I informed of this? You should have consulted with me before selecting a Rider."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "I did try to reach you. I left several messages in your scroll and forwarded Jaune Arc's files to your computer. You should have known about this over a week ago."

"Oh." Dr. Polendina suddenly looked awkward. "Well, you could have let me know about it when we talked last Monday."

"That would have been impossible because we did not talk last Monday. We last talked weeks ago. You've been locked in your lab for over two weeks and refused to come out. A personal best for you, I must say."

Polendina looked at himself and took a whiff of his clothes. It was only then that Jaune noticed the slight stench around the man. "Two weeks? Really?"

"Really."

"Then what did I eat?" The scientist asked, flabbergasted.

"Lethal amounts of coffee, I assume."

"Huh." Polendina tapped his chin. "Yeah, that sounds about right. I should probably try to get some sleep today."

"That would be for the best," Ironwood agreed, doing a remarkable job at keeping a straight face. "I would hate to lose my best scientist due to lack of sleep."

"I'll schedule it later," Polendina said. He waved a hand dismissively as if putting the issue behind him before his gaze moved to Jaune. "Now, about the child."

"I am fifteen," Jaune said, knowing it probably wasn't that much better than twelve for a man as old as Polendina, but it was the principle of the thing!

"He is the perfect candidate to be IXA's Rider," Ironwood said. "All the tests show this."

Tests? Jaune blinked. They had run tests on him? As far as he could remember, they had only tested him at… Hyades Academy… which worked closely with Atlas Academy. They had most likely forwarded his results to Atlas right away, provided General Ironwood couldn't just access them directly.

What exactly made him a good fit for this, though?

"He has an Aura rank of S and-"

"Say no more," Polendina cut in. "You should have just led with that."

The scientist was no longer glaring at Jaune, but that didn't mean his gaze had become in any way comforting. The scientist's eyes were now analytical in a way that made the hair on the back of Jaune's neck stand up.

"Well, come on, lad. Might as well show you what you're going to be working with," the small man said, grabbing hold of Jaune's wrist.

Jaune shot a pleading look at Ironwood as the odd man started dragging him away.

"Do not be alarmed," Ironwood said, moving to follow them. "In spite of how he looks, thinks, and acts, Dr. Polendina means you no harm. He is merely eccentric."

"I am right here, Ironwood. Listening."

"I am aware," the general said dryly before addressing Jaune once more. "In any case, I know you still have questions, and I will do my best to answer all of them within a few minutes. Just be patient for now. That is all I ask."

Still confused but a little more at ease and undeniably curious, Jaune allowed himself to be dragged deeper and deeper into the lab.

xXx

Jaune gaped.

Polendina and Ironwood had led him all the way to a very large, very solid door. It took a retina scan, three different card keys, and a voice command to open it. Behind the door was a relatively small room. By Jaune's estimates, it was only slightly larger than Ironwood's office.

In the center of the room was a tall glass cylinder that reached all the way to the roof.

Inside of it was IXA.

It was well over six feet tall. The main body was black but had white, armored plates attached to its legs, chest, and arms, forming greaves, a breastplate, and gauntlets. Its head was round and colored in blue and white. A black visor framed by gold took over most of its face, somehow managing to look like a crown

In some ways, it was reminiscent of a knight of olden days, the type he used to read about as a kid.

"Is that… a suit of armor?"

Jaune leaned forward. He wanted to put his hand against the glass, but he just knew the scientist would stop him from doing so.

"A suit of armor? Hardly!" Polendina scoffed. "What you see before you is IXA! It is as far beyond a suit of armor as the SDC is to a mere street peddler! IXA is the pinnacle of Atlas technology! Speed. Strength. Endurance. All its Rider's capabilities are increased by an order of magnitude! IXA can turn a mere pup into the fiercest of wolves!"

Dr. Polendina's voice grew louder and more passionate as he spoke, his fist clenched in front of him. Towards the end, he was not even talking to Jaune anymore. He only had eyes for IXA.

"And most important of all! IXA does not rely on Dust!"

"What?"

Jaune's shocked question was enough to draw Polendina's attention away from the suit. The scientist allowed himself a smug smile. "It is as you just heard. IXA works using a one-of-a-kind Aura Reactor. It is powered solely by its Rider's Aura."

That… that was… Jaune looked at the already impressive suit with a whole new level of respect.

Now, Jaune wasn't the most book smart person in the world, but he knew the same basic facts of life as everyone else. There were four kingdoms, Grimm were a threat to the entire world, and all technology relied on Dust.

No exceptions.

It wasn't as if humanity hadn't experimented with other types of energy throughout history. Dust just happened to beat all other competition by a mile. It was a plentiful resource that could be applied in dozens of different ways. Fire. Wind. Energy. Gravity. The list of Dust types went on.

If this suit worked using nothing but the wearer's Aura, the ramifications were…

Well, Jaune didn't really know what the ramifications were, but he was pretty sure they were big.

"To minimize the loss of lives, Atlas deploys more combat droids than all other Kingdoms combined," Ironwood spoke up, moving to stand beside Jaune. "If it were possible, I would remove humans from the battlefield entirely, but the value of the human element cannot be denied. To that end, our Specialist Unit recruits skilled Huntsmen into the army, allowing their abilities to be put to better use. However, against an enemy that controls over ninety percent of the planet, that is not enough."

Jaune shuffled awkwardly. Ironwood was not saying anything Jaune hadn't already been aware of, yet hearing it all laid out like that left an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach.

"IXA is meant to change everything. With it, a regular soldier will be able to fight on par with a Huntsman, and a Huntsman would be further elevated. Once we can mass-produce IXA, we will be able to take back land from the Grimm at a much faster rate than anything seen in recorded history." Ironwood turned to Jaune, his hands folded behind him. "That is why you are here, Mr. Arc. You will be the one to test IXA."

"Me?" Jaune asked. He unconsciously brought a hand to his chest. "Why? I mean, I can't possibly be your first choice for something like this. You have seen my tests scores! I... we're in a Huntsman Academy! You must have dozens of students who are better than me in every way!"

Jaune realized he was sabotaging himself, but he couldn't stop himself from pointing out the obvious. No matter how he looked at it, there were bound to be hundreds of better candidates within walking distance.

Why had he been chosen?

"Well, you aren't wrong," Polendina said, scratching his beard. He looked amused. "However, most people don't have an Aura rank of S."

Jaune frowned. There was that term again.

"What does that even mean?"

It was Ironwood who answered his question. "He is referring to the Atlas Classification System. We measure a person's Aura and assign a letter ranking to it. Most people are ranked C or D. It is not much, but it is enough for them to defend themselves against minor Grimm should they seek to learn the ways of combat. Usually, C is the minimum rank required to become a Huntsman, though exceptions do exist. Meanwhile, E Rank, the lowest rank, indicates a particularly weak Aura. People like that tend to suffer from permanent health issues."

And A and B were for people who had more Aura than what was normal. Jaune could guess that much. In a way, the whole thing reminded him of a video game.

"And S?"

"S stands for Superior," Polendina said, snorting. "It's a bit on the nose, but that's Atlas for you. It's meant to signify a person's Aura exceeds the boundaries of what is considered A-Rank. It's fairly rare. The good general over here is part of that special group."

Jaune looked at Ironwood in surprise at that. The general nodded, confirming the scientist's words.

"As are you," Polendina finished. "Which is why you were selected for this."

Him? Jaune looked at himself. He could still feel the Aura flowing through his body. It felt amazing but was it really that much compared to what other people had?

"IXA is still in its testing stages," Ironwood explained. "Many of its components have not yet been finalized. That includes its Aura Reactor. At present, it demands too much Aura for regular people to use it. However, the size of your Aura makes you a suitable Rider for IXA."

"Wouldn't it be better if someone with training used it, though?" Jaune asked Ironwood. "I can't be the only person with a big Aura around."

Case in point, Ironwood also had a big aura.

To Jaune's surprise, Ironwood shook his head. "I could be the one to test the suit, but then we'd learn nothing. There are a few Specialists and students I could call upon for this task, but they are already highly skilled fighters. We wouldn't be able to judge IXA's abilities if people like them used it. Meanwhile, if someone with no training like you were to use IXA, we'd be able to know exactly what it can do."

Jaune blinked. "So, if someone too awesome wears the suit, you won't know how awesome the suit is?"

"That's an overly simplified but not incorrect way of putting it," Polendina said with a shrug.

In other words, Jaune sucked just enough to be qualified for this. Since he had no skills to call his own, anything good he did while wearing the suit would be entirely the suit's fault.

That… kind of hurt his pride, to be honest.

The feeling lasted for about a second, and Jaune mentally slapped himself for it. So what if he sucked? Who cared? It was because he sucked that he was getting this opportunity. He wasn't going to waste it by feeling sorry for himself! He was going to make the best of this.

He was going to get into Atlas Academy and become a great Huntsman!

"I understand." Jaune nodded. He took a deep breath and looked at IXA "So, do I put it on now or…?"

"Ha, I wish!" Polendina said, barking out a laugh. "No. Unfortunately, it's not time yet. There are still a few kinks that need to be worked on. I also need to put the finishing touches on IXA's weapon programs. It will take a few weeks before testing can begin, I am afraid."

"In the meantime," Ironwood said, "You will be given an apartment near Atlas Academy."

Jaune's eyebrows rose all the way to his hairline. He was going to be living in the Upper City just like that? He had heard real state here was by far the most expensive in all the four Kingdoms.

Talk about job benefits.

"For the duration of the project, you will be given a stipend to cover your basics living expenses. Additionally, you will be expected to show up here bright and early for training."

Jaune blinked, hope blossoming in his chest.

"Training?"

Ironwood smiled. "I did not go through the trouble of unlocking your Aura only for you to remain ignorant on how to use it. You will be going through basic training, Mr. Arc."

Jaune smiled as wide as he could.

"Yes, sir!"

He was totally going to rock!

xXx

"Damn it!"

Jaune Arc was totally getting rocked.

Blue John watched the camera feed with a bored look on his face. Jaune was training in a special room located way below Atlas Academy, and by training, Blue meant the fifteen-year-old was being pelted on all sides by paintballs.

"He reeaally needs to learn how to dodge."

Blue glanced at his partner who was sitting beside him. Unlike him, Red was watching the proceedings with a smile on his face.

He was also eating pretzels.

"Think we should have gotten him started with laps?"

Blue shook his head. "No, it is better this way."

The two had been tasked by General Ironwood to oversee Jaune's training. They didn't have much time until IXA's first test, so trying to teach him fighting skills or improving his body would be pointless. What was most important right now was for Jaune to get a handle on his Aura.

That was why he was currently dodging paintballs being fired at him from just about every corner of the training room.

The paintballs came at such a rapid pace and from so many angles that it was impossible to dodge them all. To succeed in this exercise, it was necessary to use Aura, both to boost one's physical abilities and to shield oneself from harm.

If the trainee made the mistake of keeping his Aura up all the time, he'd quickly run out of it. Thus, the exercise forced trainees to learn how to properly ration their Aura. It taught them to be aware of how much Aura they had at any given moment and helped them get used to quickly activating it.

At least, that was how things were supposed to work. Blue's frown deepened the longer he stared at the screen.

"Something's wrong."

"Well yeah, he can't dodge. Told you we should have made him run laps first. Do some basic body conditioning before throwing him in there."

"I'm not talking about that. Look." Blue pointed at the screen. "He's getting hit repeatedly and not even flinching."

Red raised an eyebrow.

"So, what? They're just paintballs."

"Just paintballs are enough to cause pain depending on where and how they hit, especially if you're not wearing protective clothing."

Which Jaune wasn't. They had given him protective goggles and earwear, but beyond that, Jaune was wearing regular clothes. One paintball wasn't enough to seriously hurt anyone under most circumstances. However, as the hits kept coming, the damage would keep adding up. The pain was supposed to motivate the trainees to learn faster.

"He's not flinching at all," Blue repeated. "No matter how many times he gets hit, he is showing no signs of pain."

There was frustration. Lots of frustration, but not a hint of pain. Not even a flinch. There was no sign the paintballs were hurting him at all. He just took them and kept going.

Red crossed his arms. "I'm still not following you."

"If they aren't hurting him, it is because he has his Aura up when they hit him."

"So, what? Isn't that what he's supposed to be doing? Use Aura to protect himself?" Red shrugged. "Again, not seeing the problem here."

"The point is there is no way he has the control necessary to raise his Aura every single time he is about to get hit. If he has his Aura up every time the paintballs hit him, it must be because his Aura is always up."

"Wait, wait, wait," Red said, holding up his hand and finally putting his pretzels away. "Are you saying he's had his Aura up all this time? It's been hours!"

One little paintball did absolutely nothing to a person's Aura. Neither did two or three. But a hundred? Two hundred? The damage started adding up. Many people went into this exercise full of cockiness and learned an embarrassing lesson on why it was a bad idea to tank every single hit.

If Jaune had been taking all those hits with his Aura for well over two hours then…

"Only one way to find out." With the push of a button, the turrets stopped firing at Jaune. The by-now-thoroughly-purple teen blinked in confusion.

"Jaune," Blue said, speaking into a microphone. "I need you to clear up something for us. Have you been keeping your Aura up all this time?"

"Eh, yes?" Jaune scratched the back of his head as he looked at the camera. "I mean, I know you said to only activate it when I think I need it, but it's kind of hard to keep it down. Is that a problem?"

Blue quickly switched off the microphone. He and Red stared at each other.

"Is he serious?" Red hissed.

He probably was which was ridiculous. People trained to activate their Aura. People trained to be able to maintain a stable forcefield that would protect them from harm.

It wasn't something that just happened because they had a hard time deactivating their Aura!

Blue pinched the bridge of his nose. "How long can you keep your Aura activated?"

"In a non-combat situation? Thirteen hours on a good day, but barely thirteen minutes when I first started training. Put me in heavy combat, and we're back to minutes instead of hours."

"Same."

Blue could project a stable forcefield for a decent amount of time. If punches and kicks started flying, then that time got drastically shortened. That was normal. He and Red both had an Aura rank of C, the average.

Sometimes Blue liked to tell himself that if his Aura had been a bit bigger, he'd have managed to get into a Huntsman Academy instead of having to join the military. However, he knew those were just empty words. Plenty of C-ranks became Huntsmen. In the end, it was all about knowing how to use what you had, not how big your Aura was.

At least, that was what he had believed until now.

"I guess that's an S-Rank, for you."

Without a shred of skill or control, Jaune Arc had brute forced something that took most people weeks if not months to learn. Blue could try for the rest of his life, and he wouldn't be able to match the forcefield Jaune naturally projected over his body.

"No kidding," Red said, tapping the side of his head. "And he looks like such a shrimpy little thing too. What do we do now, though? There's no point to the exercise if he can just keep his Aura up for hours."

It was true. Jaune would get better at dodging if they kept this up, but it wouldn't do much for his control.

"We'll change things up," Blue said, pushing a button. The floor in the middle of the training room opened to reveal an Atlesian Knight 45.

"Jaune," Blue said, turning on the microphone once more. "We'll switch to combat practice for now. You'll be fighting droids for the rest of the day. Don't worry if you break them. We have more."

Way more.

AK-45 were outdated tech. The army had replaced them years ago, which had left Atlas with hundreds of droids that would never be put on the frontlines. Having no other purpose, the droids were put to use as training dummies by combat schools, Atlas Academy, and the military.

"Wait, wha—"

"Good luck," Blue said, turning off the microphone.

He and Red had seen the recording of Jaune's fight against an AK-45 during his entrance exam. Since they were to be his trainers, Ironwood had deemed it prudent for them to know what they were working with. To say Jaune's performance there had been underwhelming was putting it mildly.

However, that had been before Jaune had his Aura unlocked.

Blue watched as the droid began moving towards Jaune, who had already assumed something that looked like a fighting stance if one squinted. It was sloppy and full of holes, but that was to be expected considering his lack of training. It was definitely something to work on. He should also not be so eager to let his opponent take the first move.

Once the droid got within a few feet of Jaune, it sped up. Jaune's eyes widened in surprise. He tried to dodge to the side but slipped on some paint and fell. Jaune reflexively closed his eyes as he saw the robot about to hit him.

The droid struck.

Jaune blinked.

The droid struck two more times before Jaune's entire body surged to deliver a brutal headbutt to the droid's neck.

Spark flew as the robot was sent to the ground. The single hit had been enough to cause structural damage. Jaune laughed and looked at his body in wonder.

"This is awesome," Jaune cried out, before going on the offensive. He struck without skill, grace, or the slightest bit of finesse.

However, each of his blows might as well have been a wrecking ball.

"How long did the general say we had before the first test?" Blue asked as he started to get ready to send in another droid. He'd have to raise the combat level of the next one.

"Two weeks or so. Why?"

"Just wanted to know how much time we had to work with him. I had my doubts at first, but we might just have him ready by then."

Two weeks wouldn't be enough for Jaune to gain any degree of skill. Two weeks wouldn't even be enough to get him to the level of a first-year combat school student.

However, it was more than enough time to get the young child used to fighting.

Blue smiled as the droid's head went flying.

"Oh yeah, he'll definitely be combat ready by then."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Canon keeps Aura rather vague. Jaune supposedly has a big Aura, and Hazel's Aura regenerates super fast. Those are things that are mentioned in the show, but since we don't know enough about the average, it really doesn't mean much. Is the reason why Jaune never had to work on keeping his Aura up while Oscar seems to have trouble with it because Jaune's Aura is that big or due to the way in which Pyrrha unlocked it? Who knows?**

 **That said, vagueness is not necessarily bad. If you try to define your power system too much, you're more likely to mess up than if you keep it just vague enough.**

 **Still, the power level fan in me wanted to do an Aura ranking system, and this is probably the only fic in which I'm going to be able to do it because a ranking system sounds like the type of thing Atlas would do.**

 **As an aside, I have a bit of a confession. Originally, this chapter ended with the first activation of IXA, but I cut that part out. It's a difference of only 1k words, but it does end up leading to a somewhat slower story. Still, it felt proper to end things here.**

 **Till next time!**


	4. Don't Say No IV

**In case it wasn't clear yet, yes, IXA is essentially Kamen Rider Kiva's IXA. Just with a few tweaks added to make it fit the setting.**

 **Does that mean Kiva will appear? Who knows?**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

By the time sunlight started filtering in through the windows, Jaune Arc was already done making breakfast. Once upon a time, the notion of him being up before sunrise would have been unthinkable, but times changed. He had no one to wake him up by jumping on his bed anymore. It was just him and no one else in the apartment Ironwood had given him. He couldn't afford to be careless.

Getting an apartment in the floating city of Atlas was nearly impossible for most people. A house located in the classy side of Vale was cheaper than a small studio apartment in the upper districts of Atlas. Those who performed menials jobs in the floating city usually lived in the lower districts. They had to make the trip to and from the upper city each day.

There were only a few exceptions to this. Huntsmen and Huntresses received significant discounts when purchasing or renting property in Atlas. People liked feeling safe, and having Huntsmen around helped foster that atmosphere. Then, there was the army. Atlas provided free housing for all its soldiers. The same went for everyone who worked in Atlas Academy.

That was how Jaune Arc found himself with an apartment most people would have to sell their organs to buy. It was neither big nor luxurious. But it was above the clouds, and in Atlas, that meant everything.

As Jaune finished eating breakfast, he found himself missing the usual noise that accompanied meals back home. Growing up with seven sisters made a guy get used to a certain level of noise.

Jaune frowned as he remembered the conversation he had with his family after Ironwood had recruited him into the IXA project. It had been extremely uncomfortable yet extremely satisfying. Satisfying because the looks on his parents' faces were something he would treasure for the rest of his days, but uncomfortable because it meant explaining to them he wasn't going to return home anytime soon.

His parents hadn't exactly been pleased about it. How could they? They barely understood how their son had gotten a part-time job at Atlas Academy, which was the cover story Ironwood had given him. However, there wasn't much they could do about it. By Atlas law, he was of age. Besides, they had given him permission to go to combat school. Many of those happened to be boarding schools, so this wasn't all that different from what they had already agreed to.

Jaune sighed as he finished his coffee. He gave himself one look in the mirror and quickly slapped his cheeks.

This was no time to be getting distracted! Today was an important day!

Today, he was finally going to put on that suit!

xXx

Jaune stood in the middle of a room with white walls, a white floor, and a white ceiling. Cameras watched him from every corner. It was a room Jaune was more than familiar with by now. After all, he spent most of his time fighting droids here nowadays.

This time, there were no droids in the room.

Raised on a podium in the center of the white room was a belt. It was black with a gold and red belt buckle that was slightly larger than average, hardly unusual by Huntsman standards.

"I thought I was supposed to try out the suit today?" Jaune asked, trying to find the impressive suit anywhere in the room and coming up empty.

"You are," Polendina replied through the speakers. "IXA contains highly advanced mecha-shift technology. When not in use, it shifts into the form you see before you. Now, stop wasting time and put on the IXA belt."

That big suit turned into that belt?

Jaune let out an impressed whistle even as he put the belt around his waist.

"Good. Now hold the belt-buckle by the left side and pull."

Jaune followed Polendina's instructions and was surprised when half the buckle came off and began shifting. The belt grew in size, turning bulkier and more mechanical. Meanwhile, the buckle in his hand turned into something that looked like the halfway point between a gauntlet and a pair of brass knuckles. A black and gold weapon with a red gem on top of it.

Again, all perfectly normal by Huntsman standards.

"What you have in your hands is the IXA Knuckle. For now, it will serve as IXA's primary weapon."

Huh, so that was why Red and Blue had been making him fight unarmed. Poor Crocea Mors was stuck gathering dust in his apartment.

"Push the IXA Knuckle against any part of your skin, then connect it to the belt," Dr. Polendina instructed. "That will trigger the transformation. IXA is already keyed to your biometrics, so there is no need to worry about someone else accidentally activating it."

"So like this?" Jaune asked as he pushed the IXA Knuckle against his palm. The moment he did, an electronic voice came from the belt.

 **Ready!**

"And then I do this."

 **Fist. On!**

"Hey, doesn't that sound kind of—"

Jaune never got the chance to finish that sentence. One moment, Jaune had been about to try the IXA suit for the first time. The next, there was fire and pain. For the first time since his Aura had been unlocked, Jaune felt his whole body consumed by agony. The roar of the explosion drowned out all other noises, even his own screams.

Then there was darkness, and Jaune knew no more.

xXx

"You told me it was safe!"

"It was! There should have been no risk!"

"Then explain to me what happened back there, Polendina!" Ironwood roared. His metal fist slammed against Polendina's desk. Had the furniture been made of lesser material, it would have broken in half. As it was, the desk merely cracked.

"Explain to me why there was an explosion! Explain to me why I had to go into that test room and peel the suit off that kid before it burned through his skin! Go on! How did that happen?"

The moment Jaune activated IXA, the suit had exploded. Jaune's Aura had saved him from grievous injury. However, the superheated metal of the suit still clung to his skin in the aftermath of the explosion, rapidly eating away at his already diminished Aura.

Had Ironwood been any slower to act, Jaune Arc could have died. Of that, the general was certain.

Thankfully, Ironwood's quick actions had prevented the worst outcome, and Jaune Arc was now recovering in the infirmary.

"I may…" Polendina frowned in thought before sighing. "I may have a theory."

"Do tell."

Though Ironwood allowed the doctor to explain himself, he made no move to sit down, choosing to loom over the man instead.

"There was too much Aura."

"What?"

Ironwood's voice was harsh and without an ounce of sympathy in it. Polendina knew he had to choose his next words very carefully.

"IXA is powered by its Rider's Aura. That's why it is necessary for the Rider to have substantial amounts of it. However, we neglected to consider what would happen if IXA's reactor received too much Aura at once. IXA received too much, too quickly. The reactor overloaded, leading to the explosion we saw."

"So you are telling me," Ironwood said through gritted teeth, "that we have a weapon that will harm its user if his Aura is too small, but will _blow up when given too much Aura!_ "

Polendina looked away.

"That… would seem to be the case, yes."

IXA's technology was still in its experimental stages. The simulations they had run proved the Aura Reactor required too much Aura to work. Even if someone with an Aura rank of B were to use IXA, he would be drained in a few minutes. An A-Rank may fare better but still wouldn't last anywhere near long enough to provide useful data. If someone with a too small Aura were to use IXA, the suit might even kill that person.

That was why someone with an Aura as large as Jaune Arc's was necessary. Through repeated testing, they would be able to observe how the Aura Reactor performed under different conditions and work towards improving it. The final goal of the project was to make it so even someone with an Aura rank of C would be able to operate IXA.

However, if putting someone with an Aura rank of S inside the suit led to such a catastrophic outcome, how were they to test the suit?

There was only one conclusion that could be drawn.

"If that's the case, the suit is useless," Ironwood said. "IXA is useless, and we have wasted our time and money on it. If it can't produce results, we may have to cancel the project."

"No!" Polendina rose from his seat, pale-faced and wide-eyed. "You can't do that! If IXA is not finished, then Penny… Penny won't…"

Ironwood took a deep breath. When he spoke next, his voice had lost some of its harshness.

"I know Penny is important to you. I had high hopes for her as well. However, for Penny to be realized, IXA's Aura Reactor needs to work. That cannot be done without further testing, and it is clear that's not an option right now. IXA has proven itself too dangerous, and I will not subject my men to such risks."

Enough soldiers and Huntsmen died against the Grimm already. There was no need to add even more people to that number, not if Ironwood had his way. IXA was supposed to help limit casualties, but if the only way to get it ready was for people like Jaune Arc to sacrifice themselves to the machine, then that was not a path Ironwood was willing to take.

Ironwood was a soldier, not an unfeeling robot. Even if his detractors would like to claim otherwise.

Still, it was a pity. Without IXA, it was unlikely Penny would ever be finished. Both would have been great assets in the fight against the Grimm and in the battle against Salem, not that Polendina knew about the last part. Without them, Atlas would have to rely on the Paladins and the next generation of Atlesian Knights, both of which were still in development.

"I am sorry, my friend."

"Wait!" Polendina held out his hand. "Please, wait. Do not talk as if the decision has already been made!"

The scientist closed his eyes. His hand clenched and unclenched numerous times as he gathered his words. When he opened his eyes, they were full of resolve.

"I can fix it."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow.

"Can you?"

"Yes," Polendina said. "If I am right about the problem, and I usually am right about most things, then I should be able to create a solution. I can place a limiter on the reactor. No, not just on the reactor, on the entire suit. IXA's capabilities would be lowered as a result, but it would allow the suit to be used. That would be enough for testing to get started. Once more data is gathered, we can gradually release IXA's limiters."

Ironwood observed the old man carefully. Usually, Polendina's words could be trusted, but the person in front of him wasn't the brilliant scientist he was used to dealing with. The person in front of him was a father that desperately wanted to save his daughter.

"And you are sure you can do this?"

"I am a genius," Polendina said, his usual confidence returning. "There is little I cannot do. We need to repair the suit either way. Making a few modifications while we are at it should not prove too difficult."

There were times when Ironwood hated his position. This was one of those. Should he deny the man the opportunity to save his daughter and deny the world a powerful weapon against the Grimm? Should he potentially put an innocent boy in danger on the word of a brilliant but emotionally compromised man?

There were never easy answers.

"I will give you one chance to fix this. However," Ironwood's face grew stern, "If there is another incident like this one, I cannot guarantee the project will continue."

"You have my word, Ironwood. I have no interest in killing children," Polendina said, placing a hand on his chest.

"I never believed otherwise," Ironwood replied. He turned to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I will go check on our Rider. After what happened, I would not blame him if he wanted to drop out of the project, and I will not stop him if that is what he wishes."

"About that," Polendina said rather nervously. "If he decides to stay, it would not be a bad idea if he received more extensive tutoring on how to control his Aura. Had he a better handle on it, he may have been able to prevent the reactor from drawing so much of it today."

Ironwood glared at him. "I thought the point of these tests was to see how someone untrained would handle the suit."

"And the end goal is for the suit to be used by fully-trained soldiers who will have greater control over their Aura than that kid has," Polendina pointed out. "I have read his training reports, James, and if I read them, you definitely have as well. That kid doesn't control his Aura. He just has it on all the damn time!"

Polendina was unfortunately right. As someone with a large Aura, Ironwood knew first-hand just how difficult it was to learn how to control it compared to those with more average pools. If IXA was going to be adapted to fit its Rider, then it wouldn't be wrong for the Rider to be adapted to IXA.

"I will see what I can do about that," Ironwood said, already having a good idea in mind.

On the bright side, this gave him the excuse he needed to keep Winter Schnee away from the frontlines. She was still too young for such things.

She was not going to be happy about it, though.

xXx

Jaune wasn't quite sure when he regained consciousness.

He was on a bed. That much Jaune could tell. It was not his bed back home or the one in his new apartment, but a bed was a bed, and Jaune felt like he could use some rest at the moment. He didn't even have the strength to open his eyes.

Jaune stayed on the bed for a few minutes. At least, he felt it was only a few minutes. Who really knew? It was hard to tell the time when sleepy.

Once Jaune felt enough strength return to his body, he tried a few experimental blinks, slowly getting used to the light. A yawn escaped his mouth, and he lazily rubbed his wrist against his forehead.

A horned demon loomed over him.

Jaune gasped. His instincts screamed at him to run, but his body was still too weak.

"Whoah! Easy there!" The demon held up his hands, not to hold him or attack. Rather, the gesture was meant to be placating. "You don't want to fall off the bed. Gods know you've already taken enough damage."

Jaune blinked a few more times at that. As he did, his vision started to clear, allowing him to better see the horned demon.

No, Jaune corrected himself. Not a horned demon. Not a demon at all. Just a man with horns.

Just a faunus.

Talk about overreaction.

"I…" Shame and embarrassment welled up inside Jaune. "Sorry, I didn't mean to react like that. I had just woken up and…"

"And this is not exactly a face anyone wants to wake up to," the man said, pointing at his face. "I know."

He wasn't wrong which made Jaune feel even worse. The man was thin to the point of being bony, and his skin was extremely pale, sickly even. His hair was white, but rather than being white like snow, it was an ugly shade of platinum that looked like a botched hair dye. Two long, curled horns grew from the man's head. They had to be closer to three feet than two and were likely quite capable of seriously injuring a normal person.

Yes, there was no denying the man was scary-looking. He was the sort of person one wouldn't want to encounter in a dark alley.

He was also wearing a doctor's coat.

"It's not like that," Jaune said, his face burning with shame. "I mean, I don't have anything against faunus. Honest! I know plenty."

Jaune wasn't lying. People who didn't live there would be surprised to learn about it, but Mantle had a large faunus population. In the aftermath of the Great War, many people moved away from Mantle, leaving the city in dire need of workers. At the time, any worker had been a welcome one, human or otherwise. Many of the faunus who had just been granted citizenship found jobs in Mantle and ended up settling there.

Decades later, more faunus migrated to the surrounding area due to the SDC mines, but those hadn't fared nearly as well.

Jaune had grown up seeing a lot of faunus. However, none of their traits had been as extreme as that of the man in front of him. Jaune had seen faunus with horns before, but they could not compare to the monstrosities atop the man's head. Still, the fact that Jaune had been scared of the man's appearance, even if he had been half-asleep at the time, left a bad taste in his mouth.

To Jaune's surprise, the man chuckled.

"It is okay. You are probably used to only seeing faunus with cute animal ears or tails. I can't blame you. Not everyone gets a pair of these," he said, tapping his white horns. "That's not even getting into this mug of mine. Trust me when I say it's one only a parent can love. I'm used to all sorts of reactions by now."

"That's…" Horrible? "Not fair."

The man smiled. "I appreciate the feeling, but it's fine. I know how to deal with it. Hell, I know people out there who have it worse than me. A buddy of mine is a mantis faunus. Super unlucky."

Jaune blinked, not quite understanding why that was unlucky.

"Compound eyes," the doctor explained, tapping the side of his head. Jaune winced. Yeah, that sounded unlucky. "Poor guy can't go anywhere without a pair of oversized sunglasses. Even faunus stare at him." The doctor shook his head and slapped his hands together. "But enough about that! Let me introduce myself. I'm Dr. Onyx Xebi. I'm in charge of the medical facilities which means it is my job to keep everyone involved in the project healthy. That includes you."

The guy extended his hand, and Jaune was quick to shake it.

"Nice to meet you, doctor," Jaune said. "I am Jaune Arc."

"I am aware," Dr. Onyx said. "I've been studying your medical history since you were brought here."

Jaune blinked. Come to think of it, just why was he in the medical wing? Immediately, Jaune flinched as the memories came to him all at once. The test. The suit.

The explosion.

"Easy," the doctor said. It was only then that Jaune realized he was grabbing his head with both hands. "Don't try to force yourself to remember. It will come to you when it comes to you. No sooner. No later."

"I… what happened?"

He had a pretty good idea, but he'd rather hear it from someone else.

"As I am sure you can tell, the test did not go according to plan. There was an explosion, and you were knocked out," the doctor explained. "As I understand it, General Ironwood got to you in time. He's the one who brought you here."

Jaune looked up in surprise. "He did?"

"Yeah, looked pretty worried too, and not without reason. While the damage was not as bad as it could have been, you did have quite a few superficial burns. Don't worry," Onyx added when he saw Jaune checking his body for wounds. "Your Aura has already taken care of that."

"So fast?" Jaune asked, still checking his arms and not finding even a slight burn.

"Fast?" Dr. Onyx chuckled. "Oh, no. You have been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours."

"Twenty-Four Hours!"

"Twenty-four hours," the doctor confirmed. "Now if you'll excuse me, General Ironwood requested to be notified the second you regained consciousness. I'll be in my office after that. You would not believe how much trouble monitoring the health of twelve people can be. Word to the wise kid, never deal with people who think a Ph.D. is remotely comparable to an M.D. There is only one type of doctor that matters in the world."

"I'll… keep that in mind?"

"Good." Dr. Onyx started walking away before stopping at the door and looking over his shoulder. "Oh, and don't try to get up. You're in good health, but there's nothing wrong with playing it safe. Rest while you wait for the General to arrive. You are free to leave after that. If you need anything in the meantime, just press the red button next to your bed, and I'll be here right away."

Jaune nodded, not having the chance to say more before Dr. Onyx left the room.

Even though the doctor hadn't seemed angry by what happened, Jaune still felt a little uncomfortable after his less than stellar first impression. Oh well, this was hardly the first time he made a fool of himself. He'd have the opportunity to make things right eventually.

Hopefully.

As Jaune laid on his bed, he became aware of the tick and tock of a clock. He couldn't see it from his position, but he knew it was somewhere in the room. As the minutes kept passing and the clock kept ticking, Jaune started to grow bored.

It was inevitable. He was hardly the most patient of persons on a good day and being in bed with nothing to do wasn't really helping things. Jaune cast a longing gaze at the lone TV on the wall. If only he had a remote…

Sure, he could just walk up to it and try to turn it on manually, but what kind of savage did that?

Besides, Dr. Onyx had told him to remain in bed until Ironwood was done talking to him. The last thing he needed was for the doctor to walk in and find him disobeying orders. Knowing his luck, it was bound to happen if he tried it. He could call the doctor, but Jaune didn't want to waste his time.

Jaune extended his arm as if trying to reach the TV, knowing it was in vain.

"Would you like me to turn on the TV?"

Jaune sat up, his eyes quickly searching for the person who had just spoken.

"Who was that?" Jaune asked, more than a little wary. As far as he could see, he was the only person in the room.

"Salutations! My name is Penny," the invisible person replied, making Jaune jump again. He felt tempted to check under his bed. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Eh… hi, Penny? Nice meet you too. I'm Jaune."

"Greetings, Jaune."

"Yeah, greetings and all that… say, where exactly are you?" Jaune asked, still trying to find the girl.

"Oh, apologies. I must have startled you." There was something odd about the way Penny spoke, or rather, there wasn't, and that was what was odd. Her intonation was perfect to the point of being mechanical. "I am not in the same room as you if that is what you are wondering."

Jaune blinked. Slowly. "Then where…?"

He let his question hang in the air, waiting for the answer.

"I am currently watching you through the security cameras. Look to your left."

Jaune did and found a camera hanging from the ceiling. He waved at it. Curiously, the camera moved from side to side, as if waving back.

Weird.

"So," Jaune said, "do you work here or…?"

"My father works here. He lets me watch through the cameras so I don't get bored."

Jaune blinked. That didn't exactly sound professional. Maybe it was Bring Your Daughter to Work Day? Did that apply when you worked in a secret government lab?

"You looked like you wanted to turn on the monitor," Penny said. "Would you like me to do it for you?"

"Can you?" Jaune asked, scratching the back of his head. "I don't want to make you walk all the way here from wherever you are."

"That will not be necessary. I can do it from here." As soon as she said it, the screen turned on.

"You can just access the TV from the security room? Do you have to push a button or something?"

"O-Of course!" Penny hiccupped. "I pushed a button. I certainly did not hack the base's systems to do so."

"…okay."

"Would you like me to change the channel?"

Jaune stopped for a moment to think about whether trusting the voice of a girl he had never met who may or may not be hacking Atlas security was a good idea. In the end, he just shrugged, reasoning there was no way someone dangerous would go out of her way to talk to him.

"Could you change it to channel 404?"

"Right away."

Jaune smiled as his favorite cartoon started playing. It was a bit dated by the standards of some, but he always had a soft spot for the classics. He had half-expected Penny to stop talking to him after helping him out, but to his surprise, she started asking questions.

"Why does the duck talk? Is it supposed to be a robot?"

"What? No. It's just a cartoon. It doesn't need to be realistic. It's okay if animals talk."

Odd questions.

"Why was the coyote not able to run into the hole he painted on the wall like the roadrunner did? Does the roadrunner possess special abilities? Is it his Semblance?"

"Nothing like that. It's just a joke. You're not supposed to think too hard about it. You just accept it as something silly that happens."

But Jaune couldn't say it wasn't all that bad.

"Why are the kids so mean to the rabbit? He merely wanted some cereal."

 _"I know, right!_ I keep that saying that. Those kids are jerks."

As they continued watching the show, Jaune almost forgot Penny wasn't in the room with him. It was like relaxing with a friend, something he hadn't done in a long time. These days, if he wasn't training with Red and Blue, he was in his apartment. It was only now that Jaune was starting to realize how lonely he had been.

Jaune opened his mouth to thank Penny for keeping him company when the TV shut down. He blinked.

"Penny?" Jaune received no answer. The door opening a second later, however, shed some light into his companion's sudden absence.

"Good morning, Mr. Arc," James Ironwood said as he strode into the room. The general looked as impressive as always, not a single wrinkle to be found in his suit. Jaune didn't know whether he should stand up to greet the man or not.

"At ease," Ironwood said, smiling. "You are not one of my soldiers. You're not obligated to stand or salute."

Jaune nodded. Still, he found himself straightening his back. General Ironwood just had that sort of effect on people.

"I must admit I am glad to see you have recovered already," Ironwood said. He grabbed a chair and pulled it next to Jaune's bed. "However, that doesn't change what happened. That explosion was something that should have never occurred."

"Sir?"

"I have come here to apologize, Mr. Arc… Jaune," Ironwood said, inclining his head to him. "Our foolishness placed your life in danger."

"I…" Jaune didn't know what to say. Seriously, what was he supposed to do when one of the most powerful men in Remnant apologized to him? "You don't have to apologize."

"I most certainly do," Ironwood said. He said it with such certainty that Jaune immediately lost the will to contradict him. "I was the one who called you to Atlas. I chose you to be IXA's Rider. It was our poor preparation that put your life in danger."

Jaune frowned. "Just how much danger are we talking about here?"

"You could have died," Ironwood bluntly said. Jaune flinched. "The explosion damaged the suit. The sheer amount of heat generated was slowly draining your Aura. Had a few more minutes passed, the suit would have burned through your skin and muscles."

Jaune suddenly found his lap very interesting to look at. Dr. Onyx had told him he had only received superficial burns, so he hadn't thought much about it, but hearing what could have happened… It wasn't a good feeling. It wasn't a good feeling at all.

He could have died.

One accident and a couple of minutes, and that'd have been it for him. No going to a Huntsman Academy. No seeing his family again. No being a hero.

Just a dumb accident and death.

Just failure.

Ironwood sighed. He looked tired. "It is one thing to send soldiers against the Grimm. They are taught death is always a possibility. However, you had no reason to think your life would have been in danger during that test. You were not properly informed or prepared for what happened through no fault of your own. It is us who have failed you, Mr. Arc. That is why it is only proper for me to give you the chance to drop out of the project."

Jaune jerked his head up

What?

"What?"

"Dr. Polendina believes he has located the flaw that led to yesterday's incident and has promised to fix it. However, after what happened today, I will not blame you if you want nothing to do with this," Ironwood explained. "If you wish to leave the project, I will write you a letter of recommendation for the combat school of your choice. Now that your Aura has been unlocked, you will find the entrance exams considerably easier."

A letter of… General Ironwood was offering to… Jaune forced himself to take a deep breath.

A letter of recommendation. With a letter of recommendation from General Ironwood, no combat school in Altas would turn him down. Even without that, he knew he'd pass Hyades' practical test as he was right now. He had lost count of how many droids he had destroyed during training.

If Jaune took Ironwood's offer, he'd be able to go to combat school like a regular person.

However…

"Would that be enough?" Jaune asked. For some reason, his mouth felt dry. "If I go to a combat school right now and study hard, would that be enough? Would I be able to enter a Huntsman Academy if I do things that way?"

Ironwood considered his question for a moment. "I wish I could say yes, but the truth is there are no guarantees. You have a large Aura which is a valuable asset. However, you lack years of education and training compared to other students your age. Considering the standards of Huntsman Academies, there is no guarantee two years of combat school will be enough to put you at that level."

"But IXA would?"

Ironwood nodded.

"If the project goes well, then yes. I will stamp your Huntsman License myself."

A part of Jaune wanted to point out that Ironwood could just let him into Atlas Academy if he wanted to. After all, it was his school. However, he understood Ironwood was under no obligation to do so. That he was willing to write him a recommendation letter was already enough.

In the end, the choice was up to him. Leave now and hope two years would be enough to put him on par with people who had probably been training since they were ten or younger or stay and do his best to make IXA a success.

"In that case, I—"

"Do not answer right now," Ironwood said, raising his hand to stop him. "I can see what answer you have chosen. It's written all over your face."

Was he really that obvious?

"However, I want you to think it over carefully. This is a decision that will affect the rest of your life, Jaune. It must not be done in haste. Take the week off. Think it over carefully. If you have not changed your mind by then, I will gladly welcome you back."

Ironwood left the room after that, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **It's funny. The reason why I started writing Individual System instead of Maybe I am a Lion was because I needed to do something light after Lonely Nights, and racism (which would feature heavily in MIAL) is a heavy subject. Yet here we are. Can't do Atlas without touching on faunus racism. It's not going to feature as much as in Maybe I am a Lion, but this story is going to explore the subject a little. It kind of has to since the first "season" is going to deal with the White Fang.**

 **Dr. Onyx is an OC created for that purpose. A faunus with a trait that's a little more intimidating than usual. Sure, it's easy to like faunus when they're cute animal people, but what about when they aren't? Take Tyrian, for example. Even if you remove all his crazy, you're still left with a guy who has a giant scorpion tail with deadly poison in it. Imagine living next to a guy like that. You probably don't want to be rude, but you'll still be wary of the deadly scorpion tail.**

 **As an aside, it's fair to warn you guys, the story is not going to reach Vale for a while. The entire first arc of this story is going to take place in Atlas. That said, you may see some familiar faces sooner than expected.**

 **Oh, and for those who remember last chapter's AN, yes, the original version of chapter 3 was supposed to end with the explosion, but I realized there was little point in a half-baked cliffhanger like that.**

 **When I end a chapter on a cliffhanger, it's going to mean something.**

 **Anyway, tune in next time for the final chapter of Don't Say No!**


	5. Don't Say No V

**Changed the genre from Humor to Drama which isn't to say there isn't going to be Humor, but Drama felt like it fit a bit better.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Dr. Gelato Polendina woke up after a thirty-six-hour nap.

Some people would balk at that They would say the word nap felt woefully inadequate. People didn't nap for thirty-six hours. They didn't even sleep for thirty-six hours. In fact, a thirty-six-hour nap sounded like the result of a profoundly unhealthy lifestyle.

Dr. Polendina called those people wimps.

Dr. Polendina could and did work for several days without stopping. When he did stop, the old man usually collapsed for well over a day. Trying to wake him up was pointless. The only thing one could do was wait for him to wake up at which point the cycle would repeat itself all over again.

It wasn't something convenient like a Semblance. The doctor was just a workaholic. Everyone who worked in the IXA project knew of Polendina's bad habits. It was impossible not to know about them with how much the scientist worked. Many people tried to caution him against living like that, but they soon learned it was a lost cause. Dr. Polendina was as stubborn as a mule. Although some would say that comparison was offensive to mules.

It would surprise many to know Dr. Polendina knew his habits were not entirely good for his health. When he was younger, he had even tried to curb them without much success. As he grew older, he realized it was a lost cause. He couldn't help himself. That was all there was to it.

He was too passionate.

When he worked, the ideas just kept flowing, and Dr. Polendina feared that if he stopped, they'd be lost to him forever. So he kept going, heedless of everything else. He forgot about time. He forgot about the people around him. He even forgot about eating, managing to sustain himself with only coffee. The only thing that existed for Polendina in those moments where his very being was arrested by his passions was the task in front of him. Nothing more. Nothing less. When he was like that, Polendina could no more stop himself than he could stop the sun from rising.

It was, his co-workers had to admit, an enviable quality.

It was also the furthest thing from healthy, Dr. Polendina thought to himself as he stood up and stretched. Several satisfying cracks followed. The doctor rubbed his eyes and spied a plate of bacon and eggs left on his desk. There on Ironwood's orders, no doubt. The man could be such a worrywart sometimes.

The old scientist grabbed the plate and started wolfing it down. It was cold, but he was used to that. The last time he had a hot meal was about a month ago, and the last time he slept on his apartment instead of his office was…

Well, he couldn't recall the last time he slept on his Atlas-issued apartment. Supposedly, it had a great view, but he had never taken the time to admire it. Going to his apartment every day would make him waste entirely too much time, and wasting time was the last thing Polendina wanted.

Besides, it wasn't as if anyone was waiting for him there.

No, it was better this way. In the pursuit of science, one could ill-afford to waste time. Every second was precious which was why Dr. Polendina hadn't left his lab in months. Even taking a bath was too-

Dr. Polendina stopped and took a moment to smell himself.

No, maybe a bath wasn't entirely a waste of time. He'd have to remember to take a quick shower today and change clothes. However, that would have to wait for later.

Right now, there were other things to take care of. Like every time he woke up after one of his naps, Dr. Polendina started going over his terminal. He needed to see just how much progress had been made in his absence and what new problems had popped up since then. Usually, there were never any big surprises, but he hadn't gotten as far as he had by not being careful.

"Penny," Dr. Polendina spoke his first words that day over an hour after waking up. "Penny, dear, could you come here a second please?"

He did not have to wait long for his daughter to reply. She always kept an eye on him.

Probably because she didn't have much else to do, a snide voice in his mind reminded him.

"You called for me, father?"

As always, the voice of his daughter brought forth many emotions in him. Guilt and joy. Love and pain. It was a sweet torture he could never escape from. He could only endure.

"I seem to have found some unusual activity in our logs," he said, leaning back into his seat. "Would you care to guess why that is?"

"I have no idea," _Hiccup!_ "why that could be, father."

The hiccup was all the evidence Polendina needed. He had no idea why she was even capable of it. Technically speaking, Penny didn't even have a body to hiccup with, but hiccup she did. Every time she lied, she started hiccupping. She couldn't help herself. There was a doctoral thesis on the nature of the soul to be written there, but Polendina had neither the time nor the inclination for it.

"Why did you talk to Jaune Arc?" He asked, sighing.

Even among those who worked in the IXA project, the number of people who knew of Penny was very small. It was for the best. Polendina had told himself that numerous times. Penny's existence would be too… problematic for many. It was better for her to stay a secret for a little while longer.

Penny knew and accepted that. It was why she did not make contact with the people in the lab. Nothing stopped her from talking to them except the trust she held for him and Ironwood.

Yet she had talked to Jaune Arc.

"I wanted to meet him," Penny said, her voice meek and small. The father in Polendina demanded he immediately forgive her and buy her a puppy. He gripped the edge of his desk and took a deep breath to stop himself from doing just that.

"Why?" He asked in a gentle voice. "I am not mad or disappointed. I just want to understand why you did it."

"Because he is family."

Out of all the answers he could have excepted, that wasn't one of them.

"Family?"

"Yes, you told me IXA was my brother, father."

He had done that. Of course, he hadn't been literal about it. What he had meant back then was that since IXA served as a test-bed for much of the technology that Penny needed, it could be seen as an older sibling of sorts. Looking back on it, he should have known better than to phrase it that way. Penny was far from dumb, but the intricacies of language were not something she had fully mastered yet.

"Jaune Arc is a vital part of IXA. That makes him my sibling, does it not?"

It was the infallible logic of a child. Flawed in a way that required a long and awkward conversation to explain.

"Yes, Penny," Polendina said instead of trying to correct her. "In a way, I guess he is your brother."

"Sensational! Does that mean I can keep talking to him, father? I wish to engage in sibling banter and snack-stealing!"

It hurt him to hear the excitement in her voice. It hurt him so much he didn't have the heart to tell her Jaune Arc may not come back after what had happened during the test.

"Yes, Penny. You can talk to him. Just make sure no one else is around."

And if Jaune Arc decided not to come back, well, that wasn't a conversation Dr. Polendina was looking forward to. He'd take a hundred sleepless nights over that.

Being a scientist was hard.

Being a father was harder.

xXx

"Sir, I am afraid I do not understand."

James Ironwood did not sigh or look down. He kept his gaze trained on Winter Schnee. The young woman had just been given her new assignment and had reacted about as well as he expected. Not with insubordination or petty tantrums, of course. Winter Schnee was above such things. She was nothing if not professional.

Still, the slight tension in her lips had to be the closest thing to a pout Ironwood had seen from her.

"What exactly is it that you do not understand about the assignment?" He refrained from using her formal title. Calling her Specialist would just reinforce the difference in rank between them and would cause Winter to immediately submit to his authority. He didn't want that. He wanted her to understand why she needed to do this.

James Ironwood was not so kind he'd do this for all his subordinates, but Winter Schnee was not just any soldier under his command. She was someone with the potential to be his successor in just a few decades.

"I understand it is an honor to be brought into a project of this magnitude," Winter began, her tone respectful to a fault. "However, I am sure there are better tutors available."

Winter did not mention some of those tutors were within walking distance of his office. Atlas Academy was, after all, a school for Huntsmen. Ironwood had the best teachers his school's considerable budget could afford. Many of them he trusted with his life. If it was just a matter of finding a good teacher for Jaune Arc, Ironwood could have just ordered any of them to spare some time to teach him. Winter had realized that right away.

She just didn't throw it in his face because she was too respectful to do so.

"I must confess I do not have much experience tutoring others. As such, I cannot guarantee the best results for the project. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I believe my skills would be put to better use in the field."

"I disagree," Ironwood replied. The small way in which Winter narrowed her eyes at his easy dismissal of her argument would have escaped the notice of anyone else. "It is true I could have chosen someone else for this task. If my only concern was finding the most efficient tutor for Jaune Arc, then there are certainly better candidates than you."

"Then why—"

"Because that is not my only concern," Ironwood smoothly cut Winter's objection. That she had tried to interrupt him spoke volumes of how dissatisfied she was about this. She badly wanted to start doing her duties as a Specialist.

That was part of the problem.

"Tell me something, Winter," Ironwood said, his hands steepled together. "When was the last time you spoke with your team?"

A slight tensing of her muscles was the only reaction Winter showed. Ironwood allowed himself to feel proud of her for that.

"I…" Winter opened her mouth only to immediately close it. She had finally realized where this conversation was going, but it was too late for her to change its course. "We have not spoken since my graduation."

"Since you graduated early, you mean?"

"Yes, that is what I meant."

Winter Schnee was twenty-years-old and had entered Atlas Academy when she was seventeen. She should be in her last year at Atlas Academy.

She wasn't.

Through outstanding academic performance, Winter had graduated early. She had even managed to complete the Specialist courses alongside her regular schoolwork, something that would usually have taken six months of extra schooling after graduation. However, therein lay the problem.

Winter had graduated early.

Just her.

Not her team.

To pursue her goals, Winter had left them behind. Though Ironwood had tried to caution her against it, everything Winter had done had been firmly within school regulations, and as such, he hadn't been able to stop her. Her former team would now have to face their final year with a missing member. Since the Vytal Tournament was to take place this year, their situation was particularly troublesome. They would have to make special arrangements to participate.

They had not been happy about that.

"If your goal were to be just a Huntress, that kind of behavior would have been acceptable. Though we stress the importance of teamwork, many Huntsmen are capable of making a living taking solo missions."

Qrow came to mind. His opinion on the man's manners, disposition, character, and psychological state aside, no one could deny he produced results. Peter Port was also another example of a Huntsman that had managed to rise on his own.

"However, you are not just a Huntress, Winter. You are one of my Specialists. When you are in the field, you will not be acting alone. You will be leading a team. My soldiers will look to you for direction, and you must be able to provide it. As you are right now, I don't think you can do that."

This time Winter could not hide her flinch.

When Ironwood had made Winter the leader of her team, he had thought she would grow into the role. Alas, that was not what happened. The girl's disposition made it hard for her to bond with others. Additionally, her last name caused her no end of troubles, even among other prospective Huntsmen.

"I want you to train Jaune Arc, not just for his sake, but your own," Ironwood said. "A soldier will follow orders because that is his duty. However, that does not mean his commander has earned his respect. I want you to be a leader who can earn her subordinates' respect. I hope that by having Jaune Arc under your command, you will be able to learn how to that."

"Very well, sir. I will do my best to meet your expectations," Winter said, very clearly not happy with his decision but not able to do anything about it. Ironwood hoped she would understand in time. "However, there is something I wish to ask about the pilot."

"Rider," Ironwood corrected her. "The correct terminology is Rider."

Though why that was, he had no idea. Another one of Polendina's eccentricities.

"Right. The Rider. As I understand it, there is no guarantee this Jaune Arc will return."

"That is true," Ironwood admitted. "However, I am certain that he will."

Those eyes had been too determined for the boy's own good. That determination would have to be adequately tempered before the boy could become a Huntsman.

"Would it not be better if he didn't?"

Ironwood had to blink at that. For once, Winter looked almost uncomfortable as she spoke.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because he is an Arc," Winter replied, "and Arcs do not have a good history with Atlas."

Ironwood almost smiled. Trust Winter to have noticed that. Then again, as someone burdened by her last name, it would have been impossible for her not to notice such things.

"I believe you are overthinking it," Ironwood said. "Regardless of what happened in the past, the Arcs have proven themselves as Huntsmen countless times. In the end, we all stand united against the Grimm."

Ironwood almost grimaced when he realized how Ozpin-like those words were.

"If you have doubts, then I ask you to make up your mind after getting to know the boy. In fact, I'll make it a mission. It is important for leaders to know their subordinates."

Winter nodded. "Very well, sir. I will judge with my own eyes."

As Winter left his office, James Ironwood found himself wondering just how Jaune Arc was doing at the moment.

xXx

Jaune Arc walked through the streets of the lower districts.

Since arriving at Atlas, it was the first time Jaune left the upper districts. Hell, it was the first time he went out for a walk. He had been so busy with all the IXA stuff, he hadn't had time for anything else. Now, however, he had nothing better to do and staying all day in his apartment wasn't an idea that appealed to him. If at all possible, he'd rather not be alone with his thoughts right now. The noise from the lower city was exactly what he needed.

The sun was starting to set, but Jaune wasn't worried about that. While the lower districts had a bad reputation, Jaune was finding out it was mostly undeserved.

People who only saw the lower districts through the CCTnet thought the place was a slum where only the poor and destitute lived, a haven for criminals rivaled only by Windpath. Such notions couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, the lower districts weren't as wealthy as the upper districts, but saying they were poor because of that was like calling a Goliath small because it wasn't as big as a Leviathan.

When Jaune had arrived at Atlas, he had expected the lower districts to be like the mining communities around Mantle. What he had found had been a modern city as good as any other except for the one that floated above it. Sure, there were beggars here and there, but what city didn't have those?

For the most part, the lower districts were full of tall buildings, fast cars, and thousands and thousands of busy people. It was noisy in a way the upper districts couldn't hope to compare. Streets vendors announced their wares. People talked loudly over their scrolls. Engines roared as cars passed by. Families talked, and laughed, and had a good time. It was a stark contrast to Mantle's quieter atmosphere, but Jaune didn't mind.

Right now, he welcomed that noise.

Jaune walked through the busy streets with no destination in mind, just happy to take in the sights and noises. The more he walked, the further away he got from the beautiful floating city, and the more the city changed. The buildings became smaller and more rundown, and Jaune started to see more faunus in the crowds.

It was only natural, Jaune supposed. Living near the upper districts was expensive. Those with lesser resources naturally gravitated towards the areas further away from it. If Jaune kept walking in a straight line, he'd probably reach the slums soon enough. Before, the prospect would have frightened him. After all, he was small and frail-looking, an easy target for would-be criminals. However, Jaune had spent the better part of two weeks fighting droids. He trusted his Aura to keep him safe.

A distant rumble made Jaune look up just in time for a drop of rain to hit his face. It took about ten seconds after that for it to start pouring. Jaune pulled his hood over his head, but the material offered little protection from the rain. So much for Pumpkin Pete's Limited Edition Hoodie.

Oh well, at least it wasn't hailing. That would suck.

Looking around, Jaune spotted a small restaurant and dashed in. The restaurant was dimly lit and larger than he expected. Most of the clients were faunus, but Jaune guessed that was to be expected in this part of the city. The smell of food was quick to make his stomach growl, a reminder that he hadn't eaten all day. Jaune spotted a small table near the corner of the room and made his way there before anyone else could claim it.

It felt weird.

Not because there was anything wrong with the seat or the table. It was just that Jaune was used to sitting at larger tables. Whenever they ate out, the Arc family always needed a large table for themselves. Sometimes they had to push three or more tables together to make themselves comfortable. That sort of thing happened when a family had eight children in it.

This time he was on his own. It was different, and different took time getting used to.

Jaune clicked his tongue and forced his attention on the menu, just in time as well, because a waiter came to take his order. A quick glance at the menu showed the restaurant offered a surprisingly large variety of food, and Jaune would be lying if he said he wasn't curious about some of the dishes. In the end, though, he went for something familiar.

He ordered from the children's menu.

Dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.

He ignored the look the waiter shot him. What did he know? Chicken nuggets with fries were a perfectly acceptable meal for all ages. They were tasty, and you could eat them fast which meant your siblings would have a harder time stealing them from you.

It was just common sense.

The rain had brought in a lot of customers to the restaurant, so Jaune expected his order to take a while. To his surprise, Jaune saw the waiter coming towards him with a plate of chicken nuggets… and served them to the man sitting next to him. It didn't look like he had made a mistake either, because the man didn't complain about it.

"Hey, you ordered the dino nuggets!" Jaune said, happy to see someone shared his tastes. His older sisters always teased him for it.

Then again, his sisters also didn't get his hoodie was awesome, so really, what did they know?

The man turned slightly after Jaune spoke. Like Jaune, he was wearing a hoodie, and like Jaune, he had his hood up. Combined with the low lighting of the room, it was hard to make out his face. Jaune could just barely see hints of red hair under his hood.

Curiously, he wore a blindfold over his eyes. Jaune couldn't begin to guess how he saw with that on.

Maybe he was blind? Or maybe, Jaune thought frowning, he was a faunus hiding his trait. That could be it. As far as Jaune could tell, the restaurant had a large faunus clientele.

"I did," the man said, surprising Jaune with how young he sounded. It struck him that maybe the guy wasn't that much older than him. He was just very tall. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Ah? No, no problems here," Jaune said, quickly shaking his head. "I like them too. They're the best. I was just surprised to see someone older ordering them."

Adults usually didn't order from the kid's menu. It was just the way of things. Then again, this guy seemed to be a teenager, so maybe that was the reason.

"I don't make it a habit to listen to the wrong opinions of others," the faunus said. "Chicken is a good source of protein, helps you build muscle, keeps your bones healthy, and reduces stress. It's much better than fish."

Jaune had no idea why the redhead added the last part, but he didn't disagree.

"Besides, nuggets are easy to eat."

"I know, right? That's what I always say," Jaune said, nodding emphatically. "Since you can just shove them in your mouth, you don't have to waste time cutting them! They're super easy to finish fast."

"Exactly. It is foolish to waste unnecessary time eating. You never know when something will come up, so it's important to always be ready," the man said, nodding with far more seriousness than the subject deserved.

"So," Jaune said, drawing out the word. "Ketchup or honey mustard?"

What followed was a surprisingly spirited conversation about the virtues of chicken nuggets. The few people in the restaurant that knew who the man Jaune was talking to was felt the need to take a picture just to make sure this was really happening. They didn't because they knew they'd regret it later.

"There is a place in Vale you should try out. They have alligator nuggets."

Jaune's eyes shined. "Alligator? Seriously? What does that taste like?"

"A bit like chicken," the faunus replied, making a so-so motion with his hand. "But firmer. Try it if you ever get the chance."

Jaune intended to. Alligator nuggets were probably the closest he was ever going to get to eating real dinosaur nuggets.

He was glad he had found someone to talk with about this sort of meaningless stuff. It was something that he had been missing, and it was just the thing he needed to distract himself from...

Crap. He played himself.

Jaune's eyes slowly shifted to the faunus next to him.

"Hey," Jaune said, acting more on impulse than on anything resembling thought. "Have you ever seen those movies where two strangers meet, and one of them tells the other his whole life story even though it really doesn't make sense because people don't just blurt out their secrets like that and—"

"You wish to ask me something."

Jaune nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah. Kind of. I have… an issue. I think it's an issue, at least."

The faunus regarded him for a moment. He had already finished his food and paid his bill. He had no reason to stay anymore and was under no obligation to listen to his troubles. If anything, Jaune was the weird one for asking advice from a stranger.

"I cannot stop you from speaking, but I do not promise anything."

Even though his mom always said strangers were just friends you haven't met yet, Jaune always found it weird when people just casually told strangers their secrets in the movies his sisters brought home for movie night.

Right now, Jaune kind of got it.

He didn't need the opinion of someone who knew him or his situation. He needed someone who was completely unbiased.

"Well, it's like this. I got the opportunity to do something recently, and it's a good thing. It can also lead to something I've wanted my whole life…"

"But?" the teen prompted.

"But it could be dangerous," Jaune said, trying to find his reflection on his fork. Next to him, the young man went very still.

"How dangerous?"

"Very," Jaune admitted. He didn't remember everything that had happened after putting on the suit, but he did remember the bright light, the sound.

The pain.

"And now that you have realized the danger, you are not sure if you want to keep following the same path."

Jaune laughed weakly. "Actually, no."

That wasn't it. That wasn't it all. If it were that simple, it'd be easy. If it were that easy, Jaune would know how to face Ironwood next week. However, because he felt like this…

How to explain it?

"My problem is not that I'm scared. It's just… I know it's dangerous, but I still really want to do this thing," Jaune said sheepishly. "I'm not saying I'm not scared or anything like that. It's just that... I can't not do this thing, you know?"

Because backing out now felt wrong in a way he couldn't quite describe. Even if it meant risking his life, Jaune still wanted to become a Huntsman.

Was he weird for thinking like that? Was it wrong that his reaction to almost dying was to think, "But I still really want to do it"?

To Jaune's surprise, the man nodded. "I understand. If you expected to hear me disagree, you will find yourself disappointed. If you still want to go through with it, that only means you have found your passion."

"My passion?"

"In life, there are things a person must do no matter the risks. Some people will try to warn you about becoming obsessed, but they don't know what they are talking about. They have never been passionate about anything. They don't know what it is like to _burn_ for something. To walk away from the source of your passion is akin to death. Someone who does such a thing is no longer alive even if he breathes the same air as everyone else. If you have already found what it is you wish to do with your life, then go for it no matter the cost. Everything else is death."

The teen's words made their way into Jaune's heart and stayed there. A smile appeared on his face. So it was fine then? If a complete stranger could understand where he was coming from, then his thought process wasn't that weird. He wasn't weird for thinking and feeling the way he was.

It was okay for him to be this way.

"Thanks. You're pretty cool, you know?"

The man smiled. "So I've been told."

xXx

Ironwood's secret elevator was not the only way into the underground lab. It'd be pretty inconvenient if it were.

A few blocks away from Atlas Academy, there was an average—by the standards of the upper districts, at least—office building. Once the week Ironwood had given him was up, Jaune made his way there. He greeted the security guard who already knew him by sight and walked into the elevator. He flashed his badge at a hidden scanner, and the elevator started going down and down and down.

Jaune never once looked back.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **When Jaune sees Pyrrha and Ren fighting the Deathstalker, his first thought is, "I sure wish I could make this jump so I could help those two people I just met fight a giant scorpion."**

 **That's one of the first things he does in the show, and I don't think he gets enough credit for it. Sure, no one really batted an eye at having to fight the giant Grimm, but everyone else there was trained. Jaune wasn't. Jaune was just a regular guy facing monsters for the first time (as far as we know). I kind of want to highlight that aspect of him. That this is something Jaune really, really wants, and a little mortal danger is not going to deter him. For better or worse.**

 **Also, yes, that is Adam at the end. Adam two years younger and not dumped by Blake, and thus two years more stable. At least, that's the official excuse.**

 **The actual reason is that while Psycho Ex Adam wasn't necessarily a bad direction for the character, I don't need Psycho Ex Adam for this fic. I need Terrorist Leader Adam. The guy who had such a fanatic following in the White Fang that he got Sienna's guards to stand by while he killed her.**

 **And he likes nuggets because it amuses me.**

 **Next Time: No Fear, No Pain!**


	6. No Fear, No Pain! I

**Since enough people have asked about it, I might as well make it clear. Jaune will have his canon Semblance in this fic.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Block.

Block.

Par-Ack!

"Focus!" Winter Schnee snapped as she kept attacking, wooden sword in hand.

"I am tryi-gah!"

"Do not speak in the middle of a fight! It is a waste of time and energy!"

Jaune Arc wanted to point out that she was speaking in the middle of a fight too, but he was too busy frantically trying to defend himself with his own wooden sword.

Besides, Winter had no problems talking and fighting at the same time. Not while he was the opponent, at least.

"Your grip is too tight. Relax it," Winter instructed as he barely leaned back in time to avoid a sword thrust to his chin. Jaune immediately did as she bid him. By now, the act of following her orders was instinctual.

"Better."

She closed in with lightning quickness. Jaune didn't so much block as he held his practice sword in front of him and hoped it'd get in the way of her strikes. Each hit forced him to give more ground. Then in a single fluid motion Jaune knew he would probably never be able to replicate, Winter was suddenly inches away from his face.

She didn't strike him.

She just lightly—so softly he almost didn't feel it—bumped her boot against his foot.

Jaune fell on his ass.

He looked up and found Winter's wooden sword an inch away from his throat.

"You place your feet too far apart. That makes your stance weak. Someone with an Aura as large as yours should not be knocked down so easily. Again."

Winter stepped back, allowing Jaune to get up. The blond wiped some sweat off his brow. The drops noisily splattered to the floor. His Aura was still at 50%, but his shirt was already wet with sweat, and his legs felt like jelly. The relationship between having Aura and not being exhausted was apparently not as simple as Jaune would have liked.

"Okay," he said, holding the wooden sword in both hands. "I'm ready."

Winter did not say anything. She just attacked. For each blow Jaune blocked, two more hit. Every time he failed to properly listen to her instructions, he was rewarded with a particularly punishing blow.

"You're slowing down. Pick up the pace."

Jaune's body protested. Even so, he roared as he moved to attack, his blade raised high above his head.

A sharp jab to his stomach quickly put an end to that.

"Do not mistake recklessness for ferocity," Winter chided. "Any fool can swing a sword. Be better."

Jaune managed to step to the side to avoid the follow-up attack. A flick of Winter's wrist had her slashing at his face. He moved his sword in time to block the first strike, then the second one. However, when it came to the third strike headed for his left side, Jaune wasn't so lucky.

He managed to get the timing right, but the creaking of wood reached his ears just as the wooden sword in his hands broke, allowing Winter to score another hit.

"Take a break," Winter said, stepping back. She took a moment to look at his ruined weapon. "We'll resume in ten minutes."

Jaune almost collapsed at that. He didn't because he knew that if he did, Winter would scold him. He needed to keep his body in motion for a while after exercise or something. Winter had said something like that, but he didn't quite remember the details. He had been too busy panting so hard it had felt like his lungs were about to come out of his mouth when Winter had been explaining it.

Instead of lying down like his body desperately wanted, Jaune picked up the fragments of broken wood and headed for the corner of the room closest to the door. There was a cooler full of water bottles there. There were also two boxes. The first held several pieces of broken wood. The other one had brand new wooden swords for him to use.

When they had started the day's training, the first box had been empty.

Jaune picked one of the water bottles and started guzzling down. A happy sigh escaped his lips. Water may not taste like anything, but after hard work like this, the sensation of it pouring down his throat was better than all the chicken nuggets in the world. It was a good thing Winter always made sure they had more than enough.

As he thought about her, his eyes drifted to the woman in question. She wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, she was taking down notes in her scroll. She often did that whenever they took breaks.

After Jaune had returned to the IXA project, General Ironwood had introduced Winter Schnee to him. She was to replace Red and Blue as his main instructor and help him learn to control his Aura. At first, Jaune had been struck by her beauty. Her blue eyes, white hair, and aristocratic features were undeniably captivating. It was like she had stepped out of a painting. However, her sheer intimidating presence had prevented him from making a fool of himself.

It was for the best, really.

The second thing Jaune had learned about Winter was that she was a harsh taskmaster who demanded nothing less than excellence from everyone around her. In a weird way, Jaune found it flattering. People usually didn't expect big things from him.

 _"To train your Aura, it is first necessary for you to understand its limits. Now, on your guard!"_

That had been one of the first things Winter had said to him. She had barely given him a chance to defend himself after that. She had worn down his Aura hit by hit, putting him in the yellow with laughable ease.

Winter had then shown him a few basic control exercises and told him to practice them. Apparently, the less Aura he had, the easier it was to control. If his Aura recovered too much, Winter would spar with him again to whittle it down.

That was how they spent their first week as trainer and trainee.

Once two weeks had passed, Winter decided to move on to more advanced things, hence the wooden weapons. Since they both had Aura, there was no reason for them to use practice weapons to avoid hurting each other. However, the wooden swords served a special purpose in his training.

 _"With enough control over your Aura, it is possible to project it over objects to make them more resilient. Students from Atlas Academy could easily kill a Grimm using a loaf of bread."_

Jaune hadn't quite believed that at first, but then Winter had used one of the wooden swords to slice a combat droid in half. The sight put in perspective just why people with proper training wouldn't do for the IXA Project. If the students could kill Grimm using food, then putting them in the suit to have them kill Grimm wouldn't prove much.

Jaune, however, was nowhere near that level of control. The first time he tried to reinforce a wooden sword with Aura, Winter had broken it with one hit of hers. The second time he had tried it, the sword had broken in his hands before he could do anything with it.

 _"A wooden sword is not a Huntsman-grade weapon. It is not made for Aura to be channeled into it. Put too much into it, and the wood will break under the strain"_

That was what Winter had told him right after. It would have been nice if she had told him that before, but Jaune had learned Winter was one of those experience-is-the-best-teacher type of person.

That had set the tone for their subsequent training sessions. Winter kept bringing wooden swords, and Jaune kept breaking them during their spars. At first, they would last only a couple of blows. Now, Jaune could make them strong enough to last a few minutes against Winter.

Sorta.

A few times.

Two out of ten.

"Break's over!" Winter called to him. She was already back in the center of the training room, her wooden sword held in one hand. There was nothing in her stance that looked overly threatening, but experience had taught Jaune that stance was enough for her to react to any of his attacks with ease.

Jaune looked at his empty bottle and sighed. He was tired, bruised, and sweaty. The moment he got home, he was probably going to collapse in his bed and sleep until tomorrow.

Still, he dropped the bottle and picked a new wooden sword.

"I'm ready," he said, standing before her, the sword held in both hands.

Winter looked at his stance. She always did that before starting their spars. Any flaws she found there would be ruthlessly exploited later.

"Use one hand."

Jaune blinked.

"Huh?"

"Starting today, you will hold your sword using only one hand," Winter told him.

"B-but if I do that, I won't be able to reinforce the sword nearly as well," Jaune protested. Holding the sword using two hands allowed him better channel his Aura into it. He wasn't quite sure why, but that was how it worked for him.

"I am aware," Winter replied. Jaune could swear she was smiling on the inside. "That is the point."

Of course.

xXx

Jaune Arc, Winter had learned, was astonishingly easy to read.

She could call him an open book, except one usually had to lean in to read a book. There was no need to make such an effort with Jaune Arc. The boy was simply hopeless when it came to concealing his emotions, or perhaps, it had just never occurred to him emotions were meant to be concealed in public.

It was very different from what Winter was used to.

Winter was used to her father's greedy business partners who lied as easily as they breathed. Winter was used to her classmates at Atlas Academy who were taught discipline above all else, even the weird ones. Winter wasn't used to dealing with someone so… transparent.

Maybe if she were someone else, it wouldn't have mattered much, but she was Winter Schnee. Her father had taught her how to read people and conceal her emotions while other children were learning how to read and write their names. Emotional excesses, her father once said, were for lesser people.

While her opinion of the man was far from high, Winter would be lying if she said his lessons hadn't served her well. In battle and in everyday life, hiding her emotions behind a mask of cold indifference was something that had come in handy numerous times.

Winter knew what Jaune was thinking. She knew the prospect of switching to one hand after having slowly gotten used to wielding a sword with two did not appeal to him. She knew he was dreading the number of swords he was going to break, and more importantly, the number of blows she was going to land as a result.

Despite that, Jaune Arc only tried to protest once. After that, he just sighed and let one of his hands drop from the hilt. The remaining one—his right—pointed the sword at her, his gaze resigned yet determined.

There was not even a hint of insubordination in those eyes, yet the deference Winter was used to wasn't quite there either.

Winter wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

She was, after all, a Schnee. Life had taught her most people would react in one of two ways to her. Servile deference or buried resentment. There were people who would bow their heads to her because she was a Schnee, and people who would resent her because she was a Schnee. Winter joined Atlas Academy to escape that but found more of the same. There were classmates and even teachers who had been quick to follow her lead just because of her last name.

Then there were students who had been quick to dismiss her as someone who used her last name to get by. They thought she bought her way into Atlas Academy. Even her teammates had not been excluded from that.

Did she get her position as team leader due to her skills or due to her last name? That question hung over them during their first couple of months as a team.

Winter knew the truth. She knew her worth. General Ironwood had allowed her into Atlas Academy because she deserved it, and he had made her team leader for the same reason. However, it had taken time for everyone else to recognize that, and even after years at Atlas Academy, many people still only saw her as a name.

It was all part of being the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Remnant. Her father may have disinherited her, but most people still only saw her as his daughter.

Jaune Arc was proving to be a rare exception.

In the time Winter had known him, he had never once had that look. That "Ah, she's a Schnee" look Winter had grown so used to seeing her whole life. He followed her orders without complaints, throwing himself at whatever training she gave him, not because she was a Schnee but because she was his superior officer.

For some people, the difference would be insignificant. For Winter, it was a new and novel experience, exciting even. She threw all manner of tasks at Jaune, testing the limits of their trainer-trainee relationship. Sometimes, Winter feared she had pushed Jaune too far, but the boy would just dust himself off and keep going. Sure, he'd whine here and there. He had a talent for it, but he'd still get up and do the work.

How many times had she ended up alienating people due to her strict standards?

More than she could count.

Winter was a perfectionist, and what she demanded from other people was no less than what she expected of herself. However, in most cases, that proved too much for other people. That had certainly been the case with her team.

Weiss was an exception to that, but Weiss was Weiss. Her sister had a relentless desire be the best and worshipped her with devotion Winter didn't really feel she deserved. She could put whatever task she wanted before Weiss, no matter how unreasonable, and her younger sister would do her best to meet her expectations, then feel ashamed if she happened to fail.

Jaune Arc was not her sister. He didn't hold any personal devotion to her, nor did he share her drive for perfection. That wasn't to say he wasn't determined, because he was. It was just that perfection didn't seem to be a goal or standard that had even once crossed his mind.

If Winter had to put it in simple words, she would say that rather than wanting to be the best, Jaune Arc was someone who wanted to be better.

Step by step. Minute by minute. Training session after training session.

He kept trying to get better.

However, did him having that type of disposition made it right for her to push him as far as she did? Two months ago, he had just been a regular civilian. Should she not take that into consideration? Yet, if she took it easy on him because of that, wouldn't that hurt his progress?

How much was too much? How little was too little?

What was right for a superior to demand of her subordinate and what wasn't?

They were not questions Winter had to deal with before.

"Ready?" She asked Jaune, turning away from her thoughts. The boy nodded.

He wasn't.

Winter counted at least five different mistakes in his stance. Usually, she'd start by ruthlessly exploding them. Experience, after all, was the best teacher. However, she decided to try something different this time.

"Your sword is too high. Lower it." Jaune blinked in surprise but did as she said. "Better. Now move your right foot forward… Not that forward. There."

She gave Jaune two more corrections after that.

"That will do," Winter said, taking in his form. "Begin!"

Obviously, Winter didn't go all out. She never did. That wouldn't help him learn. Still, Jaune ended up hitting the mats thirteen more times before their session was over. By the end of it all, he was lying on the floor, his clothes soaked with sweat.

"That will be all for today," Winter said. Unlike her pupil, there was barely a drop of sweat on her, and barely only because Jaune had gotten some of his sweat on her a couple of times. "Go home and get some rest. We will do the same tomorrow."

"Right. Home," Jaune said, panting. "I'll do that… eventually… when I can get up."

This, it occurred to Winter, was a prime occasion to socialize with her subordinate. Though General Ironwood had told her she should try to get to know him, Winter had made no progress in that area. Their interactions had been strictly professional so far. The logical side of Winter told her there was nothing wrong with that, yet that didn't ring true. After all, General Ironwood was the epitome of professional, and he knew Winter as a person.

She didn't know Jaune Arc at all.

This, she supposed, was as good a time to fix that as any.

"You have improved," Winter said as a way of starting a conversation. "Your control still leaves much to be desired, but it ever so slowly inches closer to acceptable."

"I… thank you?"

Had Winter been speaking to Weiss, those words would have been enough to render her sister into a stuttering mess, an adorable stuttering mess. Jaune Arc just blinked in confusion.

"At this rate, there should be no problems during IXA's next test," Winter continued. The way Jaune slightly tensed up did not escape Winter's notice. "Worried?"

"What? No! I mean… yeah," Jaune said, still laying on the floor. "I'm not going to back out or anything. I already made up my mind. It's just…"

"The last test did not go well for you," Winter finished for him.

"I exploded. It sucked…"

A natural concern. He may have committed to the project, but it was foolish to expect his hesitation to completely disappear after being caught in the middle of an explosion. Even if his mind was made up, fear was not something that a person could just will away.

If people could be brave just by wanting to be brave, there would be no cowards in the world.

That wasn't to say Jaune Arc wasn't brave. His presence in Atlas confirmed it even if it also raised numerous questions.

"Why Atlas?"

"Huh?"

The sudden question caught Winter off-guard, even more so when she realized it was she who had uttered it.

"Why did you choose Atlas?" She asked again. "I have read your file and understand you tried for Vale first, but why did you pick Atlas immediately after that?"

She could understand not wanting to waste time with Vacuo, however…

"Give your family's circumstances, I would have thought Mistral would have been a more appealing choice to you."

There. The thing that had been nagging at her since the day she met Jaune Arc. It was true kingdom alliances did not matter to Huntsmen. Someone born in Mistral and raised in Vale could go to Shade, then settle in Atlas, and no one would bat an eye over it. Huntsmen were, after all, free agents not aligned with any country. Jaune Arc was born in the Kingdom of Atlas, so it wasn't wrong for him to choose Atlas Academy.

However, he was an Arc.

"It did cross my mind," Jaune admitted, scratching his cheek. "But traveling to another kingdom just to get rejected is a bit too hurtful to do it twice. It's true that I didn't want to be too close to my family, but Atlas is okay."

"You misunderstood my meaning. I was not referring to whether being close to your family made you nervous. I was referring to your family's history with Atlas."

Once upon a time, the Arc family had been a knightly house serving under the King of Mantle. Over time, the house had risen in rank and influence. Many great warriors and military leaders had been born from the Arc family. However, that had all changed after the Great War. When the King of Vale claimed victory, it wasn't just the kings who had to step down.

It was all the nobility.

Countless noble houses across the four kingdoms lost their titles. Some had fared better than others, but those in Mantle suffered greatly. Not only did they lose the war and their lands, they even lost their kingdom. Many houses fell into poverty when Atlas rose. The Arcs fared better than others, but they were still left forgotten in Mantle.

Jaune Arc should resent Atlas.

Jaune Arc should resent _her_. Like it or not, her father was the reason why many poor mining communities had appeared around Mantle.

"Oh. That." Jaune said it as if it didn't matter. "I actually never gave it much thought. I mean, it's old history."

Old… history?

"I'm not saying I'm not proud of what my family accomplished," Jaune hurried to add. "It's just… there's no point getting mad over what happened a long time ago. My family did their duty, and I think they were happy with that. I don't think they ever resented the people of Atlas. At least, my dad and my grandpa never have."

He said it as if it should have been obvious. As if there was no reason his words needed to be said. To someone like Winter, who wore her family's history like a cloak, it was incomprehensible.

"Is that why you never once had any objections to being taught by a Schnee?"

Winter was not expecting Jaune to suddenly blush and look away.

"Ah, about… I actually didn't notice."

What?

"Winter Schnee. Schnee Dust Company. I kind of didn't put two and two together until about a week ago. By then, it kind of didn't matter anymore. Sorry!"

What?

That… that was…

Ah.

So that was how it was. She understood now. This boy… her subordinate.

He was a fool.

xXx

The time had come.

Jaune Arc stood in the middle of the testing room with the IXA Belt already wrapped around his waist. A group of scientists with more doctorates than you can shake a stick at watched him with bated breath through the cameras. Dr. Gelato Polendina sat at the front of the group, his hands clasped together. General Ironwood stood at his side, his stern eyes taking in everything.

"Jaune," Polendina said, and he immediately found himself wishing for a glass of water. His throat was too dry. "Are you ready?"

He watched the child nodding through the monitors.

"I think so, yeah."

"And did you read the manual?"

"Of course, I did."

"Good." Dr. Polendina licked his lips. "That's good. Then if there aren't any objections, we will begin the test. There is no reason for you to worry. We have done the necessary changes to IXA. This time should be no…"

Damnation! Why was he feeling so nervous? He had done the math! His calculations were perfect. The accident wouldn't repeat itself this time.

"Altercations. There should be no altercations this time."

There couldn't be. Because if there were… if there were any… No. Failure was not allowed. Failure had never been an option. Not for him. Not for IXA.

Not for Penny.

"Okay." Jaune took a deep breath and nodded. The boy slightly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Let's do it."

It was now or never.

"IXA. Test 2. Begin!"

Jaune slammed the IXA Knuckle against his palm.

 **Ready!**

Work. Work. Work. Work. Work. WorkWorkworkworkworkworkworkworkwork!

 **Fist. On!**

There was a flash of light. More than one person behind Polendina gasped when it faded. Where before there was a small fifteen-year-old, now stood a knight clad in white, black, and gold. Even though IXA had adapted to Jaune Arc's height as the suit was created to do, it still cut an intimidating figure. However, these people were professionals. Their stunned awe lasted only for a moment before they went back to their work.

"Report. Now!"

"Vital signs are all stable."

"Aura drain is within acceptable parameters."

"No signs of overheating. All systems green."

Good news. All of them good news. Although considering how low the bar had been set by the first test, maybe that wasn't saying much.

"Can you hear me, Jaune?" Polendina asked. His heart started beating faster when he saw IXA nod.

"Yeah. No problems here."

"Excellent," the scientist said, nodding even though Jaune could not see him. "Are you experiencing anything unusual right now? Anything potentially dangerous?"

"Not really." Polendina could hear pencils scribbling away behind him as IXA moved to better look at himself. "It feels a bit weird having this on, but not in a bad way. It's like…Ah, I got it. It's like a more complete onesie. Yeah, that sounds right."

Polendina decided to remove that comparison from any and all future studies on IXA.

"I want you to listen to me carefully. We're going to start by testing a few simple motions. Do you think you can do that?"

"No problem, doc."

Polendina's eyebrow twitched.

"That's still Dr. Polendina for you! Now, I want you to walk in a straight line until you reach the wall."

If Jaune thought the request was in any way odd, he did not say it. Instead, the boy in the suit started walking with slow, careful steps, as if he were stepping outside a couple of days after a snowstorm when black ice ruled the ground with an iron fist. After ten steps, he began moving with more confidence. The tension those simple movements generated in the control room could be cut with a knife.

"Well done," Polendina said once Jaune reached the goal. He used the sleeve of his lab coat to wipe some sweat off his brow. "Let's move to something more complicated. Try jumpin-"

TWACK!

Polendina gaped as IXA suddenly shot up to the ceiling with enough force to crack it. A simple jump had left the suit embedded into the roof all the way up to its torso.

Someone behind Polendina fainted.

"I thought the room was supposed to be reinforced!"

"It is," Ironwood replied.

"Sorry!" It was a relief when Jaune's voice reached their ears. "Sorry! I miscalculated how much force I needed to use. I'm okay. I'm okay! Just a little stuck, but I think I only to move a little and… there!"

Polendina would never admit he almost fell out of his chair when IXA fell from the ceiling and landed on its butt. He most certainly did not facepalm immediately after.

"I'm okay! I'm okay!"

"Let's continue," Polendina said, deciding to ignore the whole thing. For the next twenty minutes, he made Jaune go through a series of simple exercises to determine his range of movement while wearing IXA.

"What do you think?" He asked Ironwood when they were done.

"I think we can move to the next stage." The general took the microphone from him. "Jaune, we'll begin combat testing now."

The boy looked around the room. "So, will I be fighting robots again or…?"

The general smiled. "I have something different in mind."

With the push of a button, the door to the testing room opened and in stepped Winter Schnee, clad in her Specialist uniform. The nervousness that radiated from IXA at that moment was palpable.

"I think I'd rather fight robots."

Ironwood chuckled.

"Don't worry. You will not be fighting Winter directly. Specialist Schnee, if you would?"

The young woman nodded and drew her sword. A pure white glyph appeared in front of her and from it rose a monster. A white and blue version of a Beowolf.

"You can summon Grimm?" Jaune asked with awe in his voice.

"Not quite," Winter told Jaune. "The full explanation would take too much time, but suffice to say, I can create copies of enemies I have defeated in battle."

"That sounds ridiculously overpowered."

It really was. If Polendina didn't have more pressing concerns, he'd like to take a few months to study the Schnee Family Semblance.

Rather than being offended by Jaune's words, the young woman seemed almost smug. "It has its uses. The Beowulf I have summoned for you to fight is slightly stronger than the average Beowolf. You will find it a harder challenge than the outdated droids you have been testing yourself against."

"Are you ready, Jaune?" Ironwood asked.

The young man seemed to take a deep breath, though it was hard to tell with him being inside IXA. "Yeah, sure." He settled into a loose fighting stance. "Why not?"

"Begin!"

One punch.

That was all it took.

Faster than Polendina could perceive, IXA got within range of the crystalline monster and smashed its fist against its face, shattering it into a million pieces.

Stunned silence followed. Even Winter looked surprised.

"I think," Ironwood said, breaking the silence. "That we'll be able to move testing to Site B sooner than anticipated."

At that moment, Gelato Polendina's smile was so wide it was almost terrifying.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Jaune is in an interesting place as a character in RWBY. There is a lot of stuff we know about him. We know what he wants. We know what he struggles with. We know his quirks. In some ways, he is the most nuanced character in the show.**

 **At the same time, there are just enough gaps in his backstory for writers to fill them in all sorts of different ways. Is the Arc family full of badasses or is his father the only one who knows how to fight there? Was Jaune untrained because his family didn't want him to fight or because he just didn't care about that sort of stuff until shortly before Beacon? Is he from Vale or somewhere else?**

 **Depending on how you fill those gaps, you end up with slightly different Jaunes while still keeping true to the Jaune in the show which I think is neat. Here I went with his family being former Mantle nobility. I like the concept of them being former knights, and nobility is one of those things the show doesn't really talk about. There were kings eighty years before the show began. It's reasonable to assume there should have been nobles as well. Where did that all go?**

 **If you can't tell by now, I like the idea of the fallout from the Great War not being all that neat and tidy. Now, this doesn't mean Jaune's family will play a big role in this story, although it may come up once or twice in the future. It's just there to give a little flavor to the setting.**

 **As for Winter, I'm going with "What if Weiss was made the leader of her team and things didn't quite work out for her?" as the basic idea for her background. Her perfectionism and status ended up alienating the people around her until she just stopped trying to make things right with her team. She wasn't lucky enough to run into people like RBY.**

 **Does that mean we'll see Winter's old team in the future? Who knows?**

 **Till next time!**


	7. No Fear, No Pain! II

**Another Monday. Another chapter.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Jaune Arc was going through the harshest trial of his young life.

His stomach twisted as his body threatened to betray him. Every second was a new nightmare, but Jaune refused to give up! Deep breaths, he reminded himself. Deep breaths. He could do this. Focus. He just needed to focus.

"I believe in you, Yellow John!"

"Come on, kid! We're almost there!"

"It would be unsightly if you were to fail here after all your training."

Focusing would be so much easier if everyone around him could just shut up!

Jaune glared at the other people in the ship who, despite their encouraging words, were sitting as far away from him as possible. All of them looked at him as if he were a grenade about to go off. Jaune had a feeling Winter would be standing on her seat if she didn't care so much about being all proper. Red and Blue, who cared far less about protocol, were doing just that.

Jerks. The lot of them.

Didn't they know motion sickness was a fairly common problem?

The ship chose that moment to lurch to the side, turbulence of some sort, causing Jaune's stomach to move in ways stomachs should never do. The boy's hands flew to his mouth as his face gained a greenish hue. The contents of his stomach threatened to surge from his mouth, but he refused to let something so humiliating happen.

Don't throw up. Don't throw up! **Don't throw up!**

"Shit, he's going to blow!"

"Open the door!"

"We're over a thousand feet up, you moron!"

"I'm not saying we jump! I'm saying we open the door and hold him over the edge while he does his business."

"Not it!"

"What? No! Why do I have to be the one who holds him? It was my idea!"

"Exactly. Your idea. You do it."

"Can't Specialist Schnee just summon a Grimm to do it?"

"I will not have you use my summons for your inane ideas! Now, as your superior officer, I command you two to stand in front of me."

Super jerks.

"Damn it, how long until we reach Fort Grey?"

"One hour."

Jaune whimpered.

It was going to be a long flight.

xXx

Many complications and cries and screams later, the ship landed. All its passengers rushed out with haunted looks on their faces, eager to get away from the stench, much to the confusion of the small welcoming delegation that had been waiting for them.

"Damn," Red said. "If I ever see time dilated vomit a-"

"I believe," Winter interrupted, meaningfully clearing her throat, "that it would be for the best if we all forgot the past two hours."

Just about everyone present nodded fervently at that. Jaune would have nodded as well if he wasn't so busy drinking a bottle of water to clean his mouth of any… leftovers.

"Good," Winter said as she schooled her face into a mask of neutrality and proceeded to introduce herself to the bewildered welcoming delegation. Once that was done, she turned to her men. "Soldiers, escort the scientists to their new work stations and help the droids move the equipment. Lieutenants John and John, you are in charge."

The soldiers were quick to follow her commands, leaving Jaune and Winter alone in the landing pad.

"Are you well?" Winter asked, still maintaining a prudent distance from him.

"Mostly, yeah," Jaune said, making a mental note to wash his mouth as soon as possible. "Just… motion sickness... It's actually more common than you'd think."

Winter said nothing. She just stared at him with a perfectly neutral face. It was the type of expression that had to be practiced because no one could be so naturally good at expressing nothing.

"So," Jaune said, eager to change the subject. "This is Fort Grey? It's... big."

A few days ago, General Ironwood had informed him the project was going to temporarily move to a military base away from the city to run some tests. Now, here they were. Fort Grey was far larger than any building in Atlas and was surrounded by high, sturdy-looking walls. Most Grimm would have a hard time getting past them, and Jaune could see several turrets mounted on the walls to combat flight-capable Grimm.

Most of Fort Grey's area was taken up by two large hangars, many runways, and several landing pads, resulting in a sizable amount of open space. The base's actual buildings—all of them painted in classic Atlas gray—were not that large by comparison. They had nowhere near the number of floors the buildings in Atlas had, and Jaune was willing to bet Fort Grey also had nowhere near the number of basements Atlas Academy had.

All in all, Fort Grey felt roomy. Monochrome, but roomy.

"Fort Grey was one of the first military bases constructed after the founding of the Kingdom of Atlas. The council of the time wanted to make a strong visual statement to display the kingdom's power."

"They also build it right between Mantle and Atlas."

"That they did," Winter nodded. "Atlas was a young kingdom back then and had not yet gained the loyalty of all its territories. As a consequence, it feared not just the other kingdoms, but the threat of Mantle rising up against it. Fort Grey was made to serve as a deterrent. How necessary that deterrent was is up for debate as Mantle never once gave Atlas cause to doubt them."

It was kind of sad. Mantle surrendered to Atlas because it wanted to avoid another war, but that had not stopped Atlas from being paranoid.

Atlas had been a young kingdom in an unstable era. People liked to pretend the end of the Great War had ushered in a time of peace and prosperity for all of Remnant, and while that was not entirely inaccurate, there had been a lot of growing pains along the way. Jaune could understand why Atlas had tried to secure its position.

Still, could Atlas have done literally anything other than pointing literal and metaphorical cannons at Mantle as one of its first acts as a kingdom?

Talk about rude.

"If this base is so important, why are there so few people around?" Jaune asked, looking left and right. As big as the base was, he didn't see that many people in it. Considering all the equipment and people they had brought in the ships, Jaune had expected a sizeable welcoming delegation instead of the four or so people that had been there when they landed. It almost seemed like they had the base to themselves.

"There are not many people around because this base is not that important."

Jaune blinked

"Huh?"

"Think," Winter said. "Fort Grey was created decades ago for a purpose that is not at all relevant in modern times. Many natural barriers surround this part of Solitas, so it isn't particularly useful in defending the Kingdom against the Grimm either. In fact, had Dust not been found near Fort Grey a little over a decade and a half ago, this base would be downright useless to Atlas."

Jaune nodded as he absorbed the information. Fort Grey had been created as a weapon against Mantle. For that purpose, its location was strategically sound. However, a war with Mantle was not even remotely a concern in modern times. The only war that mattered to humanity was the war against the Grimm. Atlas' main concern was defending its territories from the Grimm and expanding its borders through killing Grimm.

Fort Grey was simply unsuited for that purpose.

"Beyond that, Fort Grey is currently operating at minimum capacity as per General Ironwood's orders," Winter added. "IXA is to remain a secret for now. We cannot risk any information leaking out. The fewer eyes around, the better."

So General Ironwood had picked a base that operated with a small staff, then he had removed even more members from that staff. While Jaune had known the IXA project was a big deal, General Ironwood casually arranging for them to have an entire military base almost to themselves really put in perspective how important this was.

It was kind of intimidating.

Cool, but intimidating.

"I understand, but… Did we really need to come all the way here?"

Jaune had to ask. He appreciated the change of scenery, but he didn't see how moving all their equipment to this place helped. The lab back in Atlas had a seemingly unending supply of droids for him to break, and Winter could summon hordes of Grimm for the tests. Literal hordes. Sure, Winter insisted they weren't actually Grimm, but the difference was academic as far as Jaune was concerned.

Whether the monsters Winter summoned were made of inky darkness or crystalline ice didn't matter nearly as much as their fangs and claws.

"There are several reasons why it was necessary to move the tests here. Now that we have left Atlas, IXA will finally be tested against Grimm." Jaune opened his mouth to point out IXA had technically already been tested against Grimm, but Winter beat him to it. "You may think you already know what it is like to face Grimm, but it would be for the best if you dispelled that foolish notion from your mind."

Winter held her hand out. A snowy white glyph appeared on her palm, and a tiny Nevermore rose from it.

"My summons may take the shape of Grimm, but they lack any will of their own. Everything they do is controlled by my thoughts, conscious or otherwise. When you fight against them, it is my will guiding their actions. The summons may be stronger than the average Grimm, but you would be a fool to consider them the same."

Winter's hand closed, shattering the tiny Nevermore in a thousand pieces.

"The Grimm are creatures of anonymity. They do not require sleep. They have no need for food or water. They do not seek out mates." Cold blue eyes narrowed. "The only thing they want to do is kill us."

Jaune gulped.

"There is nothing else to them. Their entire existence is driven by the singular desire to see every one of us dead. They will destroy towns and raze villages. They will kill young and old alike. If they had the power to do so, they would already be laying waste to our kingdoms. That is what the Grimm are. No matter how many of my summons you fight, they will all be missing that single-minded desire to end you. It is not something I can replicate. You will only experience it when fighting real Grimm."

"Oh," Jaune said, suddenly feeling rather small.

It wasn't as though Jaune hadn't known about the creatures of Grimm. Everyone knew about them, not just Huntsmen. Grimm were a constant in bedtime stories, history classes, and mass media. They were also a frequent subject of debate during election times.

Yet Winter's words gave him pause. Hearing the way she described the Grimm, the utter finality in her voice. It made them feel more real.

More dangerous.

"Of course, there are other factors involved in moving the project to Fort Grey" Winter added, hands folded behind her. "There is a difference between a fight under controlled circumstances and a real battle. For the project to move forward, IXA must show results under a variety of circumstances. That is why field-testing exists."

More like that was the main reason why they were doing this. Winter hadn't needed to say all that stuff about Grimm. IXA was not the one that needed to experience a Grimm's overwhelming urge to end humanity, because IXA wouldn't be able to feel that. It was a suit. The scientists who looked over his test results also wouldn't feel that.

The only one who needed to be ready to face that was him. Winter's words had been for his benefit. She wanted him to be ready to face the Grimm.

Jaune felt a warm feeling spreading across his chest.

"Does that mean we will go looking for Grimm?" Jaune asked. The notion was neither appealing nor unappealing to Jaune. It was just something he knew he was going to have to do eventually.

After all, being a Huntsman was mostly about going out of one's way to hunt monsters.

"Negative. We have already located a pack around this area. Even as we speak, soldiers are monitoring its movements. It is not too far away from the base, but we need to wait until the equipment we brought is properly set up. Doctor Polendina will not be able to collect data otherwise."

Waiting for the equipment to be set up was something that would take a couple of days at least. Jaune had seen all the different machines they had loaded on the ship. It was surprising it had been able to fly with all that weight on, but gravity Dust was amazing that way.

"In the meantime, we shall continue your training."

Jaune blinked. "We'll be sparring?"

Weird. He hadn't seen any wooden swords inside the ship. Then again, he had been distracted by trying not to throw up.

"There is no need for those at the moment. Second Lieutenants John and John will be helping you with your marksmanship. Meanwhile, I will be helping you get acclimated to snowy areas. It would not do for the test to suffer because you lacked the necessary experience to fight in the snow."

All that sounded good, but there was something about the way she said it that set Jaune's teeth on edge.

"Eh, ma'am? When you say you'll help me get 'acclimated to snowy areas' what exactly does that mean?" Jaune asked nervously.

Winter's smile was neither kind nor warm.

xXx

Jaune huffed and puffed, but unlike in a certain fairy tale featuring three pigs and a wolf, no house was blown away.

"You're starting to slow down. Remember, you still need to complete five more laps! Slowing down will only lengthen the exercise."

"I know!" Jaune gasped out as he ran through the snow. His lungs felt like they were about to fall out of his mouth, a feeling Jaune had become all too familiar with ever since meeting Winter.

It wasn't that Jaune lacked experience with snow. He may not look like much, but Jaune Arc was a veteran of several snowball fights who had successfully taken down many snow forts and was the mastermind behind Operation Twin Break, a plan had successfully netted his team the win in the Annual Arc Family Snowball Fight of 76. That whole ordeal had gotten so out of hand Marie Arc had ended up grounding the entire Arc family for a month afterward. Even her husband.

Arcs did not mess around during snow season.

However, there was a difference between playing in his—admittedly large—backyard after a snow and running through the snowy fields of the middle of nowhere. While the inside of Fort Grey was well-taken care of and surprisingly snow free, no one really bothered to clean all the snow that accumulated outside the walls except for that which fell in front of the gates. Thus, Jaune was stuck running laps outside the base where the snow level was much closer to his waist than to his knees.

Apparently, there had been a snowstorm just a few days ago which meant there was more snow around the base than there would otherwise be. Fortuitous, Winter had called it, which Jaune knew was a fancy way of saying lucky.

Jaune did not feel lucky.

Jaune felt tired.

The snow wasn't hard. It wasn't slippery like ice or particularly hard-packed, not yet at least. It was cold, but nothing he couldn't handle. The Atlas-issued gray jumpsuit and boots he wore did a fantastic job at keeping his body warm. His Aura took care of the rest. Running through the snow wasn't actually all that hard.

For the first few minutes at least.

As Jaune was finishing his first lap, he realized just how draining forcing his way through the deceptively soft snow was. Putting a little more effort than he otherwise would to break the harder upper crust. Having to raise his feet more than usual with each movement. Using his arms to steady himself. The slight resistance the snow offered each time he moved his legs. It wasn't any one problem that made the task arduous.

It was all of them combined.

Now, one would think Jaune's laps would get easier after the first. After all, once his body had made a path through the snow, it was just a matter of following his own footsteps. That made sense, right?

Wrong.

Winter had forbidden him from taking the same path twice which meant each of his laps around Fort Grey had to be a little bigger (and thus harder and longer) than the one before it. Jaune's body might as well be a snow plow. A fleshy, tired snow plow that felt it was being worked way too hard. His gray clothes were already painted white by the snow. Even his hair and eyebrows were starting to look more Schnee-like with each step.

Jaune took a moment to glance at Winter out of the corner of his eye. The older woman was easily keeping pace with him. Unlike him, she was not waist-deep in snow. Winter somehow stood and ran on the snow without sinking even a single inch. Such things were apparently for lesser people.

Jaune wasn't sure if she was doing it by using her Semblance in some clever way or if the snow was just too intimidated by Winter.

It was probably the latter.

As the large gates of Fort Grey came into view, Jaune began to veer a little to the right for his next lap. Only four more laps and he'd be done. Four more laps. Each one larger than the one before it. Two months ago, doing something like this would have been unthinkable. Jaune would have collapsed without finishing a single lap. Even now, his muscles screamed in protest, but Jaune powered through. His Aura would have to keep him from feeling sore in the morning.

"Do we really need to do so many laps?" Jaune's mouth betrayed his true feelings. Winter had already explained why she was making him run in the snow, but knowing did not make the task any more pleasant.

"You already know why you are doing this," Winter chided him. Unlike him, she didn't sound even slightly winded. "All your fighting experience has been inside a lab. Whether you are a soldier, Specialist, or Huntsman, you will rarely fight on even floor. Only a tiny percentage of Remnant can be called urban."

Only about five if Jaune remembered his middle school classes right, and even then, he was pretty sure his father had once called that number inflated.

"During the field test, you will be wearing IXA. That suit makes you stronger and faster, but it does not confer you greater skill. It is better for you to get used to moving in snow now when there are no Grimm around than later when there will most certainly be."

Damn, when she put it like that this horrible exercise sounded way too reasonable and even considerate. Still…

"Isn't there a less…" Boring? Exhausting? Dreadful? "Monotone way of doing this?"

"Monotone? Well, you certainly look like it with all that white on."

Jaune blinked. That hadn't been Winter. He rubbed his eyes to clear some of the snow that had ended up on his eyelashes. Standing near the main gate and waving at them were Red and Blue.

"Second Lieutenants," Winter said, frowning. "I thought I left you in charge of helping out with the equipment."

"There were a few complications, ma'am," Blue said. Red decided to put it in simpler terms.

"The brains threw us out. Said we were big oafs that weren't fit to handle their delicate equipment and that the droids would be enough to handle the job."

"Even if we are in a secure location, Polendina should be aware of the importance of keeping the equipment and the scientists protected at all times," Winter said.

"Actually, he was the one doing most of the insulting," Blue replied, causing Winter to narrow her eyes.

"Was he now? It seems I need to have words with him."

Jaune winced. That was a conversation he wanted no part in. He wasn't sure who he pitied more. Winter was an intimidating person, attractive but intimidating. Intimidatingly attractive even. However, Doctor Polendina was Doctor Polendina. The man was the sort of person who always went at his own pace no matter what the rest of the world had to say about it.

"I will talk with Polendina to impress upon him the necessity of proper security. You two oversee Arc's laps in my absence."

"Yes, ma'am!" The two said as Winter walked into the base. Red then turned to Jaune with a smile on his face.

"So she has you running laps?" The question was rhetorical, so Jaune did not bother answering it. Instead, he tried to get his breathing under control, his hands resting on his knees. "Damn, you really are covered in snow. More White John than Yellow John, I'd say."

"Please don't."

Red laughed. "Shake that snow off then."

"For once, he has a point. You may have lots of Aura, but don't take it for granted."

Deciding they had a point, Jaune did as they asked, first by wildly running a hand through his hair then by shaking his body in a motion that could not be called anything other than dog-like.

"Much better," Blue said, nodding in Jaune's direction.

"Yeah well, I still have four more laps to do so don't expect it to last."

"Actually," Red said, his words almost leaping at the opening, "I have a better idea."

"I don't like where this is going."

"How about an alternative training method?"

Judging by the way Blue was shaking his head behind Red, Jaune had a feeling nothing good could come from this. Unfortunately, his mouth had always been a tad faster than his brain.

"Alternative training method?"

"A snowball fight!"

Jaune was pretty sure he had heard wrong.

"A snowball fight?"

Red nodded, puffing his chest. "Sure thing. The important thing is for you to get used to moving in the snow, right? A snowball fight would take care of that much faster than just running around in circles. Leaping. Aiming with uneven footing. Taking cover. Keeping an eye on the enemy. Snowball fights are great practice. It's not uncommon among soldiers when we get the opportunity, you know? Keeps the senses sharp."

Red's words almost sounded reasonable, but the way he was practically bouncing in place gave away his true motives. Alternative training method his foot! Wasn't he just suggesting that because he wanted to play around?

"Red, that's a horrible idea," Blue said, shaking his head. "What do you think will happen when Specialist Schnee comes out and finds you playing around?"

"Oh, please!" Red snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "She's going to be talking to Polendina. That's like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. They'll be at it for hours."

"Be that as it may, d-orph!"

Blue's words were cut off by a snowball landing perfectly on the uncovered part of his face. Jaune couldn't see the man's eyes behind his helmet, but he was sure the soldier was glaring at his counterpart.

"Very funny, now-"

Another snowball cut him off.

"Oh, you're dead!"

And that was how Jaune found himself dragged into his first snowball fight in a long while. He would be lying if he said he didn't have fun. His muscles may still complain, but it wasn't as tiresome as just running.

Unfortunately for everyone involved, the answer to the irresistible force paradox did not include an argument that lasted several hours. Thus, barely half an hour after Winter had left, she returned to find Blue shoving a snowball into Red's mouth who held Jaune by the neck who had decided to forgo snowballs entirely and was trying to bite the older man's arm.

Winter cleared her throat.

Never before had three men separated so fast.

"Ma'am, I can explain. This is-"

"A snowball fight." Winter's voice was every bit as cold as her name. "I left you two in charge of Arc's training, and you decided to have… a snowball fight."

"There are actually several arguments in favor of-Ugh!" Red was cut off by a swift elbow to his ribs.

"Shut. Up." Blue hissed.

"No. I see Second Lieutenant John's point," Winter said to the surprise of everyone present. "There are certainly merits to his idea which I hadn't considered before."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes, the more I think about it, the more the idea appeals to me," Winter said, taking a few steps away from them. "In fact…"

A dozen crystalline Beowolves rose behind Winter.

"I think we should continue with this exercise."

Jaune found himself wishing he could go back to running laps.

xXx

Days later, Winter Schnee sat at the head of a table in a dark meeting room. In front of her floated a holographic display of the area. Sitting at the other end of the table and looking somewhat nervous was Jaune Arc.

"This is the place the Grimm are using as a lair," Winter said pointing to a spot in the map. It was only a few miles away from Fort Grey. "The two of us will set out tomorrow. However, you will be expected to do most of the fighting. I will only intervene if the circumstances demand it. Understood?"

Jaune quickly nodded. "Yes, ma'am!"

"According to our scouts, our opposition is expected to consist mostly of Ursa, but do not be surprised if we find other types of Grimm there. It is not uncommon for different species of Grimm to band together under the influence of a sufficiently strong leader. Do you have any questions?"

"Just one," Jaune said, raising his hand as if he were in a classroom. "That place." He pointed to the holographic display. "I'm not that good at reading maps but is that supposed to be a building?"

Winter nodded approvingly. "Indeed. Years ago, a research and development corporation tried to set up a branch there. Since Dust had been found near Fort Grey, it was predicted this area would experience rapid growth. The company in question planned to foster that growth."

"What happened?"

Winter frowned, making Jaune fear he had done something wrong. Still, she answered his question. "The lead developer and head of the company died. Without him, everything collapsed. The building was left abandoned in the middle of nowhere."

Left unsaid was that the SDC had a hand in said collapse. The company could have survived without its CEO, but the pressure the SDC applied to it following that tragic loss brought it to ruin.

Jacques Schnee was never one to waste an opportunity.

Due to her father's actions, the company's plan to turn the area into a new metropolis ended up going nowhere. Instead, the SDC got its hands on the mining rights, and only a small mining town was established near Fort Grey.

"What was the company's name?" Jaune asked. Winter closed her eyes and let the name roll from her lips.

"Merlot Industries."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **If the show gets to have Fort Castle, I get to have Fort Grey. By the way, this is a completely unimportant detail, but I headcanon Fort Castle as being in Mistral.**

 **Anyway, this is a bit of a transition chapter before we jump into the action. A bit of background info. A bit of the characters just being a little silly. I wanted to show the more informal side of Atlas. After all, Ironwood is the guy who thought FNKI was a perfectly fine name for a team. You know they all have a silly side. Not entirely happy with how the chapter came out, but oh well.**

 **Till next time!**


	8. No Fear, No Pain! III

**Let's go!**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Had it been finished, the building would have been well over fifty stories tall.

Compared to the CCT Tower in Atlas, fifty stories wasn't much. Many buildings over there were taller than that, and not just those in the upper districts but in the lower ones as well. However, unlike those buildings, nothing surrounded the half-finished structure that, had things played out differently, would have become the local headquarters of Merlot Industries. The building stood alone, surrounded by nothing but cold and snow.

Somehow, that made it seem more imposing than any building in Atlas.

Jaune stood in the main lobby with Winter, his body protected from the cold by IXA. Bright light from his visor revealed the room to them. There was not a single piece of furniture to be found, and the walls had never been painted. Snow had drifted in over time, carried by the wind. The floor was covered by it. Jaune could see the imprints left behind by the Grimm, a clear sign they had come into this building.

Yet the building wasn't completely ruined.

Sure, Jaune knew this place had seen better days. However, its sorry state was largely due to the construction stopping and it being left abandoned for years. There was no sign the Grimm had done anything to the building. No broken columns or torn down walls. It confused Jaune who had often heard Grimm would destroy anything created by humans.

If that was the case, why hadn't they started wrecking this place the moment they came in?

Unsurprisingly, it was Winter who provided the answer.

As it turned out, Grimm behavior followed a certain set of priorities. First and foremost was their attraction to negativity. Grimm would always be drawn to negative emotions. If they had to choose between two humans, they would attack the one experiencing a higher amount of negativity first. Of course, what exactly constituted as negativity was a subject of much debate with no clear cut answers, or so Winter said.

Grimm would also attack humans even if they weren't feeling any negative emotions. Such was their nature. Exceptions applied in the case of humans strong enough to defend themselves, and Grimm smart enough to recognize that. Self-preservation tended to win in such occasions. It was the reason why many Grimm steered clear of well-defended settlements.

Beyond humans and faunus, Grimm would rarely attack other living creatures. If it happened, it was usually the result of territorial disputes. Rather than attacking other living beings, a Grimm's second priority was destroying all things created by humans and faunus. Houses. Cars. Ships. The list went on.

How exactly could a Grimm tell when something had been made by humans was a mystery no one had solved yet, but it was certain they had some way of knowing. According to Winter, many attempts to protect CCT support towers by disguising them as part of their surroundings had ended in failure. Grimm could always tell somehow, and that wasn't even the weirdest part.

Not only could Grimm detect man-made constructions, but they also prioritized communication and transportation equipment. There were forts and castles out in the wilderness that were still standing even though they had been abandoned for decades. Meanwhile, CCT support towers located outside the kingdoms tended not to last long unless considerable resources were used for their protection.

It almost seemed like the more modern something was, the more likely Grimm were to attack it. It was why travel across kingdoms could be so dangerous. It was also the reason why most kingdoms relied on trains even though Gravity Dust allowed ships to carry as much weight as any train and make the trip in less time. Grimm would usually leave train tracks alone for months, but travel by air was always a risk.

It was something no one had taught Jaune at school. At least, not with so many details, and he could understand why.

It was creepy.

It also explained why the Grimm hadn't bothered to do any damage to the building left behind by Merlot Industries. There was nothing about this place that would attract them. The small mining settlement a few miles away and Fort Grey would both make far more tempting targets for the Grimm. The pack they were tracking seemed more interested in using this place as a lair rather than destroying it.

A big, dark lair with way too many floors and way too many rooms for the Grimm to hide in.

Good thing Winter was here.

Jaune glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, careful not to let the light coming from his visor hit her. Even though they were in a hostile zone, the Specialist had one eye closed. Her sword was in her hands, but she was not holding it in her usual way. It softly moved through the air with small, almost delicate movements. Rather than a combat stance, Jaune was reminded of a musical director leading an orchestra.

After making sure there were no Grimm in the first floor, Winter had summoned a flock of tiny Nevermore and sent them to explore the building. After all, why waste time physically doing something your summoned creatures could do in half the time and with zero risks? Winter could apparently see through her summons, which made using them the safest choice by far.

The more Jaune saw of Winter's Semblance, the more convinced he became of his initial assessment of it.

While Winter was busy guiding her summons, Jaune was keeping watch. He stood about three yards away from Winter, his gaze continually darting around the room. His hands opened and closed every now and then, and he shifted his weight from one foot to another every ten seconds.

Jaune might be feeling a little nervous.

It was silly, of course. He could fight. Jaune knew he could fight. He had been doing that for the past couple of months. He was even wearing IXA which meant a couple of Ursa shouldn't be a threat. If they came, Jaune would see them and warn Winter. He would fight the Grimm, and Winter would intervene if he somehow got in over his head. There was no need to worry.

Yet, there was a lump in his throat that refused to go down no matter how many times he swallowed his own spit.

Jaune tried to tell himself it was just like waiting for the fish to bite. Whenever his family went to Shion village during the summer, his father would take him fishing. It was important for them to have some guy time, he'd say. Jaune agreed. He loved his sisters dearly, but it was nice to have some time away from them every now and then. He and his father would head for the lake early in the morning, rent a boat, and stay there until midday.

Other kids would have found fishing boring, but Jaune liked it. He didn't mind the wait for the fish to bite. Feeling the soft wind against his face and the gentle rocking of the boat—which for some reason never once triggered his motion sickness—as he and his dad talked about everything and nothing was downright soothing.

It was nothing at all like this.

How many minutes had passed already? Twenty? Less? More? Was that why he was so restless? Unlike in the lab, he didn't know when the combat would begin. There was no convenient signal or voice telling him what to expect next. There was just uncertainty, just the wait until Winter's summons were done searching the building. He almost wished the Grimm would attack already because at least then he'd have something to do.

"How odd."

Jaune almost jumped at the sound of Winter's voice. The sudden end to the silence caused his heart to skip a beat.

"Ma'am? Is something wrong?"

Both her eyes were open, indicating her summons had either done their job or had been defeated by something. Her sword was now held in the more familiar way he recognized from their spars.

"The upper floors are empty," Winter said, frowning as she tapped her earpiece to contact the base.

"Does that mean the Grimm are in the basement?" Jaune furrowed his brow. If the Grimm were in the basement levels, Winter would have seen them, wouldn't she? She wouldn't be frowning if that were the case.

What had she seen?

"Maybe they left?" Jaune tried when Winter didn't answer his first question.

"Impossible, we've had eyes on this building for days now. We wouldn't have missed them leaving unless..."

"Ma'am?"

Again, she didn't answer. This time because she was speaking with someone back at the base. "Fort Grey, this is Specialist Schnee," she said. "I request a reinforcement of the perimeter around my location. My authorization code is…"

There was a lot of protocol after that which Jaune didn't pay much attention to. He merely kept an eye on their surroundings, his gaze somehow more wary than before. The seeming absence of enemies set his teeth on edge. The shadows inside the building now seemed to loom over them, waiting for the chance to swallow them whole.

"We're moving," Winter said once she was done talking.

"We're going in?" Jaune asked, noticing her quick, purposeful stride was heading deeper into the building rather than away from it. Nevertheless, he followed after her.

"I suspect there is more to this place than meets the eye," Winter said. "I don't think it's prudent to waste time."

She was leading him towards the basement, Jaune noticed. Even though their pace was quick, they made sure not to rush, always keeping their guard up in case Grimm attacked.

"Is there something wrong?"

"The tracks lead to an elevator downstairs," Winter explained. As they reached a corner, Winter leaned in to look, then motioned him to follow once she confirmed it was safe.

"And that's bad because?"

"According to the blueprints that's supposed to be the lowest level. However, the Grimm are nowhere to be found."

"So the Grimm are trapped in the elevator?" Winter shot him a look that had Jaune quickly scrambling for another possibility, "Ooor there's another basement?"

"Those were my thoughts. It would hardly be the first time a multi-million lien company tried to keep a few things hidden from the government." Once they reached the elevator Winter had spoken of, she pointed to him then to the doors. "Open it."

Nodding, Jaune stood in front of the elevator and pushed his fingers against the crack between the two doors. He need not have bothered. Aura granted him great strength. IXA magnified it. The metal caved under his fingers, and the doors went flying out a moment later.

"That looks very deep," Jaune said as he leaned in. The elevator was on another floor, so all that was behind the doors was a black abyss. The light coming from his visor let him see the thick wires meant to make the elevator go up and down, yet the light wasn't strong enough to reach all the way down.

"A hidden basement," Winter said, frowning. "That's where the Grimm must be, but how could they get there without forcing their way in?"

It wasn't like Grimm could push buttons. Even if they could, this place was supposed to be out of power.

"I'll go first," Winter said. "You keep that light aimed at me."

"Wait, Winter!" Jaune tried to reach her, but she had already jumped. Glyph after glyph appeared under her feet as she used them as platforms to reach the bottom. Jaune counted ten glyphs before her form grew too small for him to see. He was about to shout into the depths when a beep came from his helmet, call from Winter.

"Ma'am!" He said, glad she was okay. "Is everything okay?"

"Contact, Professor Polendina," came her reply. "This is something that will require his expertise."

xXx

" _Amazing. Absolutely astounding."_

Reaching all the way down had been a hassle for Jaune. He didn't have super convenient glyphs like Winter, so he had to shove his hands and feet into the wall to climb down. Doing that in such a dark, confined space had been nerve-wracking.

Once he got close enough to the bottom, Winter had been able to make a few glyphs for him to jump on, but the first eighty feet or so had not been a pleasant experience.

"Professor Polendina, please refrain from voicing your admiration for something so obviously illegal."

" _I am afraid that's not possible, my dear."_

Polendina's voice was coming from Jaune's helmet, and it was through the cameras installed on IXA's head and shoulders that the scientist was taking in every detail around them.

" _Not when faced with something of this magnitude. Why, I think those installations might be better than what we have available here at Fort Grey."_

By "something of this magnitude," Professor Polendina meant the place Winter and Jaune were now exploring. While the construction above was worn-down and half-finished, what lied in the deepest level was impossibly modern. Steel walls and floors with well-illuminated hallways and rooms with computers and other modern equipment.

This was an underground lab.

Jaune could tell because he had spent the better part of two months in an underground lab under Atlas Academy.

There were dents on more than a few walls. Some doors had been torn down, and all the security turrets they had passed by had been crushed long before they got there. Broken droids littered the floor.

The Grimm were here. Of that, there was no doubt.

"This makes no sense," Winter said, leading the way. Any thoughts of her staying behind to let IXA handle the fighting had been long forgotten. "How could Merlot Industries build something like this right under our noses?! How is this place even operating?"

Frustration was not an emotion Jaune associated with Winter. In fact, Jaune didn't really associate any emotion with Winter. She was usually so in control of herself Jaune only occasionally caught glimpses of her emotions. Mild disapproval. Mild approval. Mild annoyance. Mild amusement. That was just the way Winter was.

Not today, apparently. The stern frown she wore and the tightness of her voice spoke volumes. There was nothing mild about this. Winter was frustrated. Very frustrated.

" _Common sense points towards an internal power source,"_ Polendina replied. " _Of course, the amount of Dust required to power up a place like this for over a decade would be…"_

Jaune and Winter frowned as Polendina's words became muddled by static. "What was that, doctor?" Jaune asked as both he and Winter stopped walking. "We couldn't hear that last part."

" _I was afraid that would... You two are… deep for the transmi… effectively…"_

"Can you fix it?" Winter asked.

" _N… from my end. You'd have to… terminal… boost the signal. IXA should be capable…"_

Jaune frowned. Even though he hadn't heard everything, he understood the gist of it. Find a big enough computer and use its signal to boost theirs. However, even assuming any of the equipment here was meant to connect to the outside, doing that would mean heading deeper into the lab. Before, it had just been the Grimm they had to fight. Now, it could be anything.

Superior and subordinate stared at each other for a moment. Well, Winter stared at Jaune's helmet, and Jaune tried to meet her gaze before his eyes quickly dropped to the floor. Winter was intimidating when normal. Serious Winter was even more intimidating. Something Jaune hadn't thought possible.

"I mean, we did come here for the Grimm, and they're down here," Jaune said, motioning to the broken pile of scrap that had been a combat droid once. Curiously, it looked larger than an Atlesian Knight.

Winter did not reply immediately. She merely stared at him with unblinking eyes. It felt like those blue eyes were picking him apart, dissecting him and peering into his very soul.

"I can fight," Jaune found himself saying. "You know I can fight, ma'am."

Jaune didn't know why he was being so insistent on this. It wasn't like they were on a schedule. There was no countdown here. They could easily climb up and come back with reinforcements. IXA's test would have to wait another day

Would that really be okay, though? Was it alright to back out now? Were they absolutely sure nothing terrible was going to happen if they did? Those were questions Jaune didn't have answers for. Not knowing things was far from a new experience for Jaune, but that didn't mean he liked it.

"Are there any irregularities in IXA?" Winter asked at last.

"No, ma'am," Jaune said, shaking his head from side to side. His visor projected IXA's current status to him. "Everything's working fine. No problems here."

Another beat. Another silence.

"You will follow my orders to the letter," Winter declared. There was a tacit 'or else' there that Jaune heard loud and clear. "I will take point. The goal of testing IXA's abilities is now secondary. If the suit starts showing even the slightest sign of malfunctioning, you will remove it, and we will return to the surface immediately."

"Yes, ma'am!" The sheer command in her words was enough for Jaune to salute.

"I am not joking," Winter affirmed. "If IXA malfunctions, you will become dead weight even in the best case scenario. I will have to divide my attention between carrying you to safety and fighting the Grimm. That could end with both of us dead. Understood?"

Jaune gulped and nodded several times.

Winter held his gaze for a moment. "Good enough," she said, turning away. "Oh, and we will be working on your saluting etiquette when we return to the base. You may not officially be a soldier yet, but I will not have you embarrassing yourself in the future."

Jaune followed after Winter, feeling slightly reassured by her asserting they would return to the base. He wondered if she had done that on purpose.

Many minutes passed in silence as the two explored the lab. Little more than the occasional command from Winter and Jaune's short replies passing between them. Their task was a slow one as there was lots of ground to cover. The corridors were long and seemed to go on forever. In fact, Jaune was pretty sure, they were no longer directly below Merlot Industries. And was it his imagination or was the hallway slightly slanted?

"Hey," Jaune said as an idea struck him. "I mean, ma'am, wouldn't it be easier if you used your summons like before?"

"It would be easier," Winter replied, "but I don't want to waste my Aura. Summoning is a useful skill, but it is not cost effective. The difference would not have mattered against a pack of Ursa, but we do not know what we will encounter here. It is better if I let my Aura passively recover for now."

Jaune wondered if that meant he should deactivate IXA. The Aura reactor did drain his Aura. However, if Winter had wanted him to do that, she would have already given the order. While IXA drained his Aura, it was doing so at an acceptable rate for now. The drain would only become noticeable once he started fighting. That was one of the things Polendina and Ironwood had made sure to test. They had made him transform and had him stand in place until the suit drained over 50% of his Aura.

That had been the most boring of the tests. It had been six hours of standing around doing nothing.

It had sucked because he had really wanted to pee. Despite Polendina's assurances that it was okay to pee inside the suit, Jaune absolutely refused to even contemplate such a thing. He had already gone through many embarrassing situations in his life, most of them thanks to his sisters. Jaune was not about to add peeing while dozens of scientist and one Altesian general watched to the list.

A low beep took Jaune's attention momentarily. His helmet was displaying a notification.

"Eh, ma'am?" Jaune said, raising his hand. "I think the suit found something?"

"Where?"

"Up ahead." Jaune squinted to see the tiny letters. While it was good they were small enough to avoid impairing his vision, why bother showing him notifications he couldn't read clearly? "It says... fifty feet northeast from here?"

"Let's move then." Winter quickened her face.

The two reached a large door. It didn't look like the Grimm had passed through this place. In fact, somewhere along the way, the signs of the Grimm's path of destruction seemed to have stopped. Whether it was because the security droids had managed to kill them or something else, they had no idea.

Winter motioned to Jaune. He nodded, moving to remove the metal door from its hinges.

Behind the door, there was a large room with a high ceiling and a large computer at its center. There were several monitors on the walls, showing different parts of the facility.

"Are those…Are those Grimm?" Jaune asked, pointing at one of the monitors. It showed Grimm being kept in cages. One of the creatures furiously banged its head against the bars, trying to break free.

"What is this place?" Winter said, looking around. Her eyes examined each of the rooms displayed by the security monitors. "A Grimm research facility?" She tried to access the computer but found it password protected. Frowning, she turned to Jaune. "Arc, access this computer. As I recall, IXA should be capable of it."

Jaune nodded, remembering the manual had said something about that. While IXA was not meant to fight against other kingdoms, it was well-equipped to deal with cyber attacks. He approached the computer and lifted his hand. If he remembered right, it was supposed to be in his pinky. Sure enough, the tip of the gauntlet opened to reveal a small cable that Jaune connected to the nearest port. The contact lasted only for an instant, but that was all Jaune needed to upload a virus of Dr. Polendina's design into the computer.

"That should do it, I think," Jaune said, stepping back. In a few minutes, the virus should give him access to the system.

"How long will it take for the virus to take effect?"

Jaune never got the chance to answer. At that moment, alarms blared. Metal bars fell over the entrance, blocking their way out. The ceiling opened up.

Grimm dropped in.

Ursa, Beowolves, and small two-legged Grimm Jaune did not know the name of. However, it wasn't just Grimm. Dozens of security droids also dropped down. This time they were not broken but fully functional.

The droids were humanoid in design, more so than the Atlesian Knights Jaune was used to fighting. They were tall, bulky, and came in two types. The red ones had glowing green lights for eyes and wielded spears. The white ones carried around large miniguns.

And they were shooting at them.

"Why are they attacking us instead of the Grimm?" Jaune shouted as he dove for cover.

"It doesn't matter!" Winter summoned a glyph underneath the white droids and used it to bounce them around. "Eliminate all opposition! Don't let the computer be destroyed!"

The battle was on.

xXx

A Beowolf leaped at him, the instinct to destroy overcoming self-preservation. Jaune met its charge with a fist to the face, the monster's jaw cracking under IXA's strength. He then grabbed it by the throat and threw it at a group of charging Grimm.

Was this it?

The red droids moved with speed and strength that far surpassed any Atlesian Knight Jaune had ever fought. Yet their spears could not damage IXA, and their armor cracked under IXA's strength just as easily as that of any other droid. Jaune tore them down one after another. The remains of Grimm faded away, but the oil that poured out of the droids stained his suit.

Was this how strong people felt?

A white droid opened fire on him. An Ursa raised its claw to strike. It didn't matter. The Ursa might as well not be moving from his perspective. Jaune had been wary of the miniguns at first, but now he understood he didn't need to be. Jaune could see. He could see the bullets as they flew through the air. He could move before they reached them. He could dodge, and he could block. IXA was a flash of death as it tore through its foes. How many had he destroyed already? Thirty? Forty? How many minutes had passed since the fight began? Had it even been one?

Was this how strong people saw the world?

If so, Jaune understood all their pitying looks now. Every time he failed to measure up and showed his inferiority. From his parents. From his sisters. He understood now. To not be able to see the world like this. To be denied this.

How could it be anything less than tragedy?

When Jaune turned thirteen, his father had taken him aside for a talk. He had told him there was no shame in not being a huntsman. Other professions mattered just as much. The farmer may not fight monsters, but if not for him, the people wouldn't have food to eat. Doctors did not train their muscles, but if not for them, how many would die to sickness?

There are no small roles in life, his father had told him.

Jaune agreed. He had read too many Mistralian comic books with that same message to be ignorant of it. There were many ways to help people. Saphron had chosen against being a huntress. So had Bleu, and Bleu was the smartest out of all his sisters. Jaune respected the two a lot.

And yet, as Jaune's fist reduced an Ursa to black mist, he couldn't help but think that his sisters had made the wrong choice.

Being able to move so fast bullets couldn't touch him. Being so strong mental dented and broke under his blows. The vibrations on his fists on impact. The adrenaline flowing through his body. This was a feeling he would have never known otherwise. This was a world that would have remained hidden from him were it not for General Ironwood.

To go his entire life without knowing this. How could it be anything other than sad?

For a moment, Jaune wondered how the wind would feel against his face. The helmet kept him from that sensation, yet it was only thanks to IXA that he was able to experience this much to begin with. Without IXA, he wouldn't be this fast, wouldn't be this strong. Not like Winter who didn't need the suit to be a whirlwind of death, the last of the Grimm about to fall to her blade.

He wasn't like that. Not yet.

But maybe one day…

One day Jaune wanted to be able to do this using his own strength. He wanted to experience what his parents, his sisters, and his ancestors had.

" _-der Jaune! Rider Jaune do you copy?"_

It was like a bucket of cold water had been dropped on him. The familiar voice shook him out of his trance, his blue eyes widening in shock.

"Penny?" He blurted out for it was Penny's voice that came from his helmet. "How?"

" _I will explain later, Rider Jaune. We need to act now."_

"Wait, Penny. What's going on?"

" _Rider Jaune, if we do not act soon, the Grimm will be released on civilians!"_

* * *

 **AN:**

 **According to WoR: Grimm, the Grimm are supposed to attack humans and their creations. Other WoR support this. Yet, the actual show has a bunch of abandoned towns in Mistral that are in fairly good condition, and train tracks are clearly left alone most of the time considering how many people travel by train. Hell, Mountain Glenn is still standing in spite of the many Grimm around and in it. This chapter was my attempt to breach the gap between the two portrayals.**

 **Anyway, not much else to say.**

 **Till next time!**


	9. No Fear, No Pain! IV

**People have asked about the pairing of this fic. Truth is, I didn't have any in mind when planning it. Still don't. Could be anything.**

 **Unlike other fics I have planned, shipping won't play much of a role here.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

" _Rider Jaune! If we do not act soon, Grimm will be released on civilians!"_

Penny's warning rang in Jaune's ears, her voice loud and clear. Even so, he struggled to wrap his mind around it. How did Penny know something like that? How was Penny even speaking to him? Wasn't she back in Atlas?

"Penny? What are you doing here? No, wait! What do you mean Grimm will be released on civilians!?"

Beyond Fort Grey, the only settlement around was a small mining town, wasn't it? That was miles away!

" _Look!"_

This time Penny's voice came not only from within his helmet but also from the speakers on IXA, allowing Winter to hear her as well. IXA's black visor lit up and projected an image on the wall. Jaune hadn't even known his suit could do that.

It didn't take Jaune long to recognize the projection was a map of the facility. If it was remotely accurate, this place was far larger than Jaune's already considerable estimates.

It wasn't particularly deep, having only three levels in total. However, the lab was several times wider than the building directly above it. If it were located above ground, the whole thing would occupy a greater land area than Fort Grey.

 _"As IXA's virus started taking control of the system, father allowed me to sift through the data."_

Wait, father? Did Penny mean Dr. Polendina?

Dr. Polendina was Penny's father!?

 _"While looking through the available data, I noticed the virus had triggered a security mechanism."_ As Penny spoke, several areas in the map became red. " _In just a few minutes, every Grimm being held in this facility will be released."_

"Can you stop it?" Winter asked. She didn't look at Jaune as she spoke. Instead, her eyes were taking in every detail of the map, already committing it to memory.

" _I am afraid not, Specialist Schnee."_

It was curious. Penny was speaking quite fast, and there was an undeniable urgency in her voice, yet not a single slurred word had left her mouth. If it were Jaune, he'd be tripping over his own words.

" _The virus has not yet run its course. As of this moment, I only have partial control over this facility. Not enough to stop the Grimm from being released in time."_

New sections of the map became highlighted, this time in green.

" _These are all the emergency exits that exist in the facility. Once released, the Grimm will be herded towards them. From there, they will seek the nearest source of negativity."_

Winter frowned.

"The mines,"

The moment she said it, Jaune realized she was right. While Fort Grey and the mines were equidistant from Merlot Industries, one was a military base with well-fed soldiers. The other was a mine ran by the SDC with all the usual troubles that entailed. The negativity would draw the Grimm like moths to flames.

" _Precisely! While the defensive perimeter around Merlot Industries should be able to stop most of the Grimm, I am afraid there was no way for it to take into account the location of the emergency exits. Quite a few of them will bypass it entirely. Father has already notified the soldiers of this, but it is imperative we stop the most dangerous Grimm."_

And that was where they came in.

"Lead the way."

Penny's limited control over the lab allowed her to lift the locks on the room. From there, she started leading them to the deepest level, where the most dangerous Grimm were kept. The task proved harder than expected as the security systems were not fully disabled yet. The turrets were still up and running, and many droids waited in their path.

Jaune charged through it all like a bull in a china shop. If a droid got in his path, he punched it to pieces. If the turrets fired at him, he kept running. Either Jaune got to the turret before the turret could aim at him or the bullets bounced off his suit.

Winter just obliterated everything in her path.

Even though they were fighting in narrow hallways, her glyphs allowed her an incredible degree of maneuverability. She attacked from above, from the sides, and even from below. Winter was a streak of white zipping around, Jaune only occasionally catching glimpses of her sword. While Jaune left the broken remains of droids in his path, Winter neatly cut them down, each slash a work of art.

It was a stark reminder of what Huntresses were capable of. Even with IXA, Jaune wasn't there yet.

"Penny?" Jaune asked as he threw the head of a droid at another. The power behind his throw was enough for the projectile to go right through the android. "Just what type of Grimm are down here? What can we expect?"

Jaune felt it was a pertinent question, yet Penny's answer surprised him.

" _I am afraid I do not know, Rider Jaune."_

"You don't know?" Jaune echoed. From the urgency in Penny's voice, he had been guessing they were on their way to meet something like an Ursa Major or even a Giant Deathstalker. If she didn't know what type of Grimm were down there, why was she so sure they were the most dangerous ones?

"Merlot did not classify Grimm by species, but rather by what purpose they served in his research."

Wait, so it was Merlot behind this? Didn't Winter say that guy died over a decade ago?

" _Recently captured specimens are left in the first two levels for study and observation,"_ Penny explained as Jaune leaped over a droid. His hands pushed against the ceiling as he came down with a kick. " _However, the specimens in the third basement are classified as successes. They are currently restrained but will be released in under a minute if we do not hurry."_

There were more questions Jaune wanted to ask. What exactly did it mean that a specimen was successful? What type of people went about experimenting on Grimm anyway? Hell, _how_ did one even do something like that?

Attempts to keep Grimm in captivity failed because the violent nature of the creatures of Grimm led them to destroy themselves trying to escape. Jaune may not have been the best student, but he knew that line by heart because it had been on every single one of his Natural History textbooks. For that reason, most of what people knew about Grimm came from others (usually Huntsmen) interacting with them in the wild, a dangerous task as Grimm existed to kill people.

How were there so many captured Grimm down here?

" _You are two hundred yards away from your target. The process of releasing the Grimm is already going underway. Emergency exits are being opened all over the base. You must stop them."_

"Is our path a straight line?"

" _Affirmative."_

Winter did not answer. She acted. A path of glowing white glyphs appeared before them. The moment Jaune stepped on them, he felt his body being propelled by an invisible force. Time slowed down around him, and his surroundings became a blur. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Jaune had never moved faster.

His body crashed into the steel doors like a cannonball, blasting them open.

"Up ahead," Winter called out while Jaune was still trying to orient himself after suddenly having undergone time dilation.

Alarms blared and multicolored lights blinked all around them. On the opposite side of the room, there was a large exit marked with bold red letters over a white sign. However, that was not what Winter was calling his attention to. In the center of the room, there were four large glass tubes, each one large enough to contain five people and then some. Green light glowed within them.

They were breaking.

" _We are too late."_

The glass shattered, and the dark shapes within burst into action. Three leaped towards them. A fourth dashed for the exit.

Many things happened at once.

First, Winter grabbed Jaune and threw him. The blond didn't even have time to cry in surprise before he was sailing through the air. A myriad of glyphs appeared around the room. Jaune's body bounced between them like a pinball, his body speeding each time he hit them. The path created by the glyphs neatly allowed him to avoid the three Grimm charging at them. His body sailed through the emergency exit.

Winter stepped on her glyphs and followed after Jaune. The Grimm's claws ended up hitting nothing but air. However, unlike Jaune, who was sent all the way through the doorway, Winter created one final glyph at the last moment, which let her stop right in front of the exit. She took a vial of Ice Dust from her holster and stabbed it against the ground.

A sharp, controlled burst of Aura caused a large, thick wall of ice to rise between Winter and Jaune, completely sealing off the exit.

The whole thing did not even take a hundredth of a second.

"What?"

It was not Jaune's greatest moment, yet he felt the reaction was merited as he suddenly found himself separated from Winter by a wall of ice.

"Go chase after the other one," Winter ordered, her sword pointed at her foes. "I'll handle the ones here."

"But there are three of them!" Jaune protested. "Those are not even the only Grimm here and—"

"Arc!" Winter snapped with such authority that Jaune's mouth closed with a very audible click. "You _will_ follow your orders! If you don't, the Grimm that just got away will reach the town and kill everyone there. Do you want that to happen?"

"What? No!"

"Good. Then you know what to do."

Jaune wavered. She was right. He knew Winter was right. He couldn't let that Grimm reach the settlement.

But chasing after it meant leaving Winter alone with three Grimm of unknown strength.

Winter was stronger than him. Jaune had no illusions about that. She had proven that just now by doing a bunch of things before he could so much as blink. In a fight, he might even end up getting in Winter's way.

However, to just leave her alone like this…

Jaune's hands clenched into fists. His teeth gnashed against each other.

Damn it!

Jaune turned away from Winter and ran.

xXx

Winter breathed a little easier after she heard Jaune running.

Sending him away had been a snap judgment, a decision made in less than a thousandth of a second. Yet now that it had been made, Winter could only feel confident she had made the right call.

There were four enemies of unknown strength and only two of them. Of those four, three chose to attack them, and one decided to flee. Fighting them three on two had been a possibility, yet Winter had opted against it. She didn't know how strong these Grimm were or how much time it would have taken them to kill them. It could have been one minute. It could have been ten.

In one minute, the Grimm that escaped would have already reached the outside. According to the map Penny had shown them, they were so far away from the main building, the Grimm would have skipped the containment perimeter entirely. There was a chance it would head for the soldiers, but the negativity coming from the mines would make a far more tempting target.

While mining settlements usually had security, Winter knew how much of a penny-pincher her father was. Whatever security there was would be subpar at best.

Jacques Schnee had probably taken one look at the location and thought to himself, "There is a military base a few miles away, so there's no need to invest too much in security. The soldiers will take care of the Grimm."

Judging by the speed with which the Grimm had moved, five minutes would be more than enough time for the Grimm to reach the town. Had Winter not sent Jaune away, death would have been inevitable. Those deaths would increase the negativity of the miners, drawing even more Grimm to the area. That could not be allowed to happen.

Yes, sending Jaune away and taking the remaining three Grimm on her own was the correct choice.

A nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her that Jaune Arc had been a civilian until just a few months ago. Large Aura or not, he was at best at the level of a combat school student. IXA amplified his best attributes, but that strength came with a time limit, and Jaune had already been using IXA to fight inside the lab.

Winter did her best to ignore that voice. Jaune was not helpless.

Even without IXA, Jaune was more than strong enough to deal with a small pack of Beowolves. With IXA, Winter would place good odds on him defeating an Ursa Major without breaking a sweat.

 _However, the enemy is not an Ursa or a Beowolf now, is it?_

The three Grimm that remained in the room turned to face her, their heads moving in random jerking motions. They were humanoid in shape, each with two long arms and bodies that were entirely too thin. Their skin was pulled so tightly against their bodies Winter could see their bones pushing against it. Like all Grimm, they were as black as tar with bits of hardened white forming armor haphazardly over their bodies.

Their faces were almost completely encased in white, almost as if they wore skulls over them. From the top of their heads, two long horns grew. They almost looked like antlers, but these were no jolly reindeers.

They were Wendigos.

From afar, one may confuse them with Apathy, but their abilities could not be more different. Apathy were weak Grimm who could manipulate a person's emotions with their wails. For an experienced Huntsmen, they were a minor threat unless in extreme situations.

Wendigos were not weak. In spite of their overly thin bodies that looked like they would break if one squeezed them too hard, the Grimm were physical powerhouses that specialized in close combat. They were vicious hunters and a nightmare to face during a snowstorm.

They were not supposed to be glowing green.

Instead of the usual red, the Wendigos had sunken glowing green eyes. Their claws and the spikes that grew from their backs were supposed to be bone white, yet they also glowed green as if someone had dumped fluorescent paint on them.

Winter doubted Merlot's experiments involved something so simple. A pity.

Two icy blue eyes met six green ones. Since Jaune had left, not even ten seconds had passed. Both sides studied each other carefully. No signal passed between them. There was no agreement of any kind.

Yet they all sprung to action simultaneously.

One of the Wendigos rushed to meet her head on, and Winter responded in kind. Two circled around her to catch her in a pincer. They were fast, far faster than any Beowolf. The Wendigos moved with such force their feet tore the steel-plated floor beneath them.

Winter was faster.

She reached the middle Wendigo first, her sword moving in to stab it. To the beast's credit, it lifted its arms to slam them down on her. Five Glyphs appeared around the room, one directly beneath Winter's feet.

Time sped up.

Before the Wendigo could so much as touch her, Winter became a blur of white. She moved not towards the Wendigo but away from it. She flowed from one glyph to the next until she was directly above the Wendigo coming at her from the left, her sword poised for a thrust.

Her weapon slammed into the beast with all the force of her acceleration behind it. The Wendigo was driven into the hard floor so harshly it broke underneath it.

Yet it didn't die.

Her aura-reinforced blade failed to pierce the Wendigo's skin. Winter frowned.

Not good.

To her left, the middle Wendigo's fists finally slammed against the floor, tearing it apart. It roared as it found its target suddenly gone. Green glowing eyes did not take long to find her. It and the other Wendigo moved to attack. Meanwhile, the Wendigo underneath Winter started to shake off the dizziness from Winter's sudden attack.

Not good at all.

Assuming all three Wendigos were similarly durable, it would take far too long for her to kill them. She'd need to use her Semblance to reliably stay one step ahead of them which would use much of her Aura. She'd win, but it would be risky. Under these circumstances, the safest option was…

Winter pulled all the remaining Dust vials out of her holster and shoved them into the Wendigo's mouth. Fire. Energy. Wind. A burst of Aura was all it took to activate them as she forced the beast to bite down the glass.

Even as Winter jumped back, the explosion crashed against her Aura and slammed her against the wall. Still, Winter smiled as she got up, her ears ringing. The two Wendigos that had been charging at her had been blown back by the explosion as well. As for the Wendigo she had forced to swallow all that Dust...

Its head had been blown off.

Winter started walking towards the two remaining Wendigos as the third one began fading away.

Once upon a time, Winter's fighting style had heavily relied on Dust. That had all changed the day her father cut her off. Atlas may give its students a sizable budget to buy Dust and ammunition, but not even that had been enough to cover the sheer amount of Dust her fighting style had demanded. From that day, Winter changed the way she fought, so it focused more on her Semblance and less on Dust.

Winter still carried some Dust vials on her person just in case, a decision she was certainly not regretting right now.

Just like she didn't regret focusing so much on mastering summoning.

A new glyph appeared next to her. A snowy white Wendigo rose from it, ready to fight for its new master.

Now it was two on two.

xXx

The snow was melting.

The path to the mines was a slope down that stretched for miles in a way that was sometimes gentle and sometimes steep. Even so, neither slowed down. Black and green raced against white and gold. Twin streaks crisscrossed each other over a dozen times in a single second.

Snow was blown away with each impact. Ice broke apart and melted. The earth cracked under their feet.

Never once did they stop.

Jaune gritted his teeth as he gave chase. His fist met the monster's face, a claw to the chest was his reward. Yet, the Grimm didn't stop to fight him. It just kept running towards the mines, just like it had been doing since the moment it woke up.

Did that make this Grimm smart because it kept going after the weakest prey? Or maybe it was the other way around? Was it too dumb to do anything other than follow its most basic instincts?

Jaune didn't know the answer to that. Right now, it didn't matter.

What mattered was this Grimm hit like a train.

Their exchanges didn't last more than the blink of an eye. They crashed into each other like two drunk drivers speeding through the highway. The Grimm's claws slashed at Jaune's armor. Furious blows came one after another.

They hurt.

Jaune had been hit by robots. He had been hit by Winter's summons and Winter herself. Less than half an hour ago, he had gotten his first taste of fighting real Grimm while being shot at.

None of those things hurt as much as this Grimm's claws.

Each hit bit into his Aura. Even though IXA and his Aura protected his body from injury, he still felt pain. Jaune could feel the vibrations traveling through his body, the bruises that were sure to form, his brain bouncing against his skull whenever his head was struck.

A slash from the Grimm's claw did not damage his armor, but sheer force blew him back.

A knee got him in the stomach, almost knocking the wind out of him.

One of the horns struck his head, cracking IXA's visor.

Never in his life had Jaune been in so much pain. By all means, he should be kneeling on the ground, yet Jaune Arc did not feel like stopping. Even though he should be in agony, Jaune felt like he could keep going. The pain he was feeling did not dampen his spirit but instead stoked the fire inside him.

It was almost funny. When Jaune had been a kid, he had been bullied a couple of times. His sisters tried their best to protect him, but they couldn't always be there. Being known as "the kid who had to hide behind his sisters" hadn't exactly helped things. Jaune was no stranger to getting beat up by bullies.

The pain from those hits was nothing compared to this, yet one or two punches had been enough to bring Jaune down back then. Each hit had left a crack in his confidence, leaving him burning with shame at his own inadequacies.

That was why he always fell. That was why he had never mustered the will to fight back.

The blows from the Grimm hurt in a completely different way. Each vicious blow showed Jaune a fundamental truth.

He could do this.

Dodging all those paintballs that had left him smelling of paint even after showering. Having to get up before the sun rose every morning. All that training with Winter. All those boring tests with IXA. Running through the snow. All that effort. None of it had been in vain. None of it had been worthless. The proof was right here, wasn't it? He, who had never once been good at anything, was fighting this Grimm!

Right now, he had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of!

For every hit the Grimm landed, Jaune gave at least one in return.

A blow from his fist cracked the Grimm's armor. The next one broke it.

His hand managed to grab the monster's horn. Jaune gritted his teeth as he tried to bring the Grimm to the ground, but the horn broke at the last moment.

He caught the monster in a tackle. The two tumbled down through the snow for several yards, punching and kicking and clawing all the way down before getting up. The snow literally melted around Jaune from the sheer amount of heat radiating from IXA. His Aura was under 40% and dropping fast. The mines were already in sight.

There was no way he could stop.

Right now, the only shameful action he could take would be to give up. The moment he stopped fighting the Grimm, it would be free to kill everyone in the town. Even if the soldiers arrived on time, Jaune doubted they could stop this thing.

The moment he gave up. The moment he made even a single mistake and let this thing beat him would be the moment he doomed the people down there to their deaths. The stakes were so simple even a dumb guy like him could understand them.

Amazing.

Jaune roared as he headbutted the Grimm, staggering it. Three more punches followed before the Grimm copied him and slammed its remaining horn against Jaune's head. The IXA Knuckle in his belt yearned to be used, but he needed to wait for the right time. As Jaune was knocked back, his hands found nothing but snow which he threw at the Grimm's face. It blinded the monster temporarily. That was all Jaune needed to go on the offensive again.

Huntsmen. It was always like this for them, wasn't it? One wrong move and innocent people died. That was why it was so essential for them not to fail. His parents. His sisters. They probably had to deal with stuff like this before.

He had always known it in some way, but really, they were just so damn amazing!

The Grimm screeched as it managed to grab Jaune by the legs and threw him away. It didn't bother pressing its advantage, dashing for the town instead. It was close enough for the people there to catch sight of it. Someone screamed.

No!

Jaune got up and dashed with all his strength before leaping. He twisted in the air and landed by planting both his feet firmly on the Grimm's back.

The two crashed in and out of a cabin. The people around screamed and ran out of the way.

The Grimm managed to roll on top of Jaune. The sight of its massive claw filled his visor as it slammed his head again the cold once. Twice. Thrice.

 **IXA Knuckle**

The electronic voice gave the Grimm pause. At that moment, it felt something connect with its chest.

 **Rise Up!**

An explosion of heat rocked the Grimm, blasting a hole through its body. Its dying scream was heard for a mile.

Jaune gasped as he staggered to his feet while the Grimm faded away, the IXA Knuckle held firm in his hand, steam rising all around him as the snow evaporated. Everything hurt. His visor was filled with so many warning he could barely see in front of him. Penny... was she saying something? Had she been speaking all this time?

The people of the mining town, nearly all faunus, had crowded around him due to the commotion. Jaune tried to open his mouth to reassure them, but all that came out was a garbled mess. He couldn't talk. He couldn't move. His body was too tired for both.

A kid tried to get close to him only for his mother to quickly pull him away, eyes wide with panic.

It wasn't just her. They all looked at him with wariness and fear.

Jaune could understand that. A Grimm attack would scare most people. At least, that was the conclusion his mind came to. He couldn't have been more wrong. As the soldiers started pouring into the city, Jaune realized the truth.

The people saw them and fled, panic written all over their faces. Some even screamed. Doors closed, and windows snapped shut. They showed more fear to the soldiers than to the Grimm.

The people were scared of the soldiers. Scared of Atlas.

Scared of him.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Let's play spot the shounen reference. Can you spot them all?**

 **Anyway, you thought it was going to be a Giant Deathstalker like in the game, but it was an original Grimm instead! A random big monster didn't really fit with what I was going for with this, so you get the Wendigo. By the way, they can imitate people's voices, but there wasn't a place where I could bring that up in the chapter.**

 **According to WoR, keeping Grimm in captivity is hard. I'm guessing it's something like, if you put an animal in a cage, it will stop banging its head against the bars eventually. With a Grimm, it will keep trying to break the cage until either cage breaks or the Grimm dies. You can keep Grimm captive for a short amount of time (like the White Fang did to bring them to Vale during Vol 3), but not enough to study them in any significant way.**

 **Merlot may have figured out something no one else has, but more on that next chapter.**

 **Also, congratulations to KyubiSora. Some people got the first title reference. Some got the second. He's the first to call out the trend.**

 **Till next chapter, everyone!**


	10. No Fear, No Pain! V

**And here we go.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

" _So it was really Merlot's research then?"_

"Unless someone managed to build an entire lab under his building without him knowing, the evidence looks pretty damning."

Doctor Polendina scratched his unkempt beard as he gave his report. There was a pot of lukewarm coffee on his desk. On his screen and many miles away, James Ironwood frowned in thought.

" _Merlot was always a little too interested in the creatures of Grimm. At the time, I merely thought it was the result of his inquisitive mind,"_ Ironwood said, almost thoughtfully. " _He was a brilliant man who did much for the people of Remnant and a strong proponent of expanding the kingdoms' borders. He and I were like-minded in that regard."_

Polendina took a sip of his coffee. Others would have grimaced upon noticing how lukewarm it was. Polendina was used to it.

"As I recall," the scientist said. "Merlot Industries used quite a bit of capital to finance many expansion projects, Mountain Glenn being the most notorious."

Polendina was not the sort of person who bothered to watch the news. His interests in current events did not extend beyond the latest scientific journals. Yet, not even he had been able to avoid hearing about the tragedy of Mountain Glenn. "Vale's Greatest Tragedy" the newspapers of the time had called it, and not without reason. It was the single largest loss of lives since the end of the Great War.

" _He did. At the time, I was grateful that a man like him existed, one who did not put profit over the benefit of humanity. After dealing with so many two-faced businessmen, I found Merlot a refreshing change of pace."_ Ironwood smiled mirthlessly. " _Ozpin warned us both against the project, but we did not heed him. He warned me about Merlot. I did not listen. I'll have to tell him he was right."_

"Oh?" This he had not known. Polendina raised an eyebrow. "Ozpin and Merlot did not get along?"

" _Believe it or not, it was one-sided. Ozpin disliked Merlot and never made an effort to hide it. Meanwhile, Merlot was quite fond of Ozpin, which only made Ozpin angrier."_ Ironwood smiled. " _Merlot infuriated Ozpin, and he did so without trying. Back then, I enjoyed knowing Ozpin was not above petty dislikes, but I should have treated his worries more seriously."_

Polendina's eyebrows rose progressively higher as Ironwood kept talking.

The scientist had met the headmaster of Beacon only one time. It had been at a stupid party Ironwood had forced him to go for utterly meaningless reasons. The people there had been the blandest and most uninteresting lot Polendina had ever met, and the old man hadn't bothered hiding his thoughts.

The same could not be said of Ozpin.

Ozpin had maintained a placid smile all throughout the evening. No matter what was said in front of him. No matter how the people around him acted. Never once had his polite mask faltered. Polendina may not care much for social niceties, but that didn't mean he couldn't spot a master when he saw one.

For someone like Ozpin to outright not get along with someone was... curious.

And alarming.

"Merlot sounds like an interesting man," Polendina admitted. "If it helps, you were not entirely wrong about him. It's clear he did have an inquisitive mind. One which was very interested in Grimm."

Ironwood leaned forward, lips thinned and hands steepled together.

" _How interested?"_

"Obsessed. Mad, even." Polendina's fingers moved over the keyboard. "I'm sending my report on what I have been able to glean from his files. Bear in mind Grimm Studies is not a field I specialize in. There was a lot of stuff I could barely make sense of, and even if you call your Grimm experts, I doubt they'll fare much better."

" _That bad?"_

"Bad. Good. It's all the same in this case." The old scientist waved a hand distractedly. "I'm sure you're probably going to spend all night reading what I just gave you, but let me give you the short version."

" _I'm listening."_

"Let's start with the big one. Studies on negativity. It's the age-old question, isn't it? What exactly constitutes as negativity from a Grimm's perspective. Suppose you have a happy murderer on one end of the room, a depressed child on the other, and a Grimm in the middle. Which one does the Grimm kill first?"

Ironwood did not pale like others would have. Still, his facial muscles tensed in a way that would have sent lesser men running.

" _Don't tell me…"_

Polendina nodded. "Yep. Human experimentation. He would place human and faunus subjects near Grimm and see how Grimm reacted to them. Drugs would be used to create different emotional states." More cold coffee went down his throat.

"Let me tell you something, the man kept a very detailed record of his experiments. Everything from the drugs used, the age of the subjects, and which species of Grimm he fed them to. The last one he added to see if different species had different emotional preferences. He suspected the abilities of the Apathy had arisen due to a predilection for emotional numbness while simpler species like Beowolves and Ursa preferred the fear they created while attacking."

Ironwood's face might as well have been carved from stone.

" _Continue."_

"Right. Here's where the interesting part comes in, and I don't mean that in a bad way," Polendina was quick to reassure him. "As we all know, studying Grimm in captivity is a difficult, almost fruitless endeavor. However, Merlot was capable of keeping several Grimm in captivity for significant lengths of time. According to his files, some specimens were kept in captivity for _years_."

Ironwood did not miss the significance of this information.

" _The longest we have managed to keep a Grimm from killing itself is around a month. How did Merlot surpass our best efforts by such a wide margin?"_

"Two ways." Polendina held up two fingers. "First, by keeping the Grimm—and there's really no easy way to say this—fed. According to his notes, Grimm showed decreased self-destructive tendencies if allowed to periodically kill humans and faunus. He likened this behavior to animals in a zoo being healthier when their habitat was recreated as opposed to being kept in cages."

" _That is not an option for us."_

"Obviously! However, that was not all he did. Merlot also figured out how to put Grimm in suspended animation. I started to suspect it when Specialist Schnee gave her report and told us about the state Merlot's experiments were in before being released. Looking at his notes confirmed it."

Ironwood's eyes glowed with interest. " _Can we replicate this?"_

"Merlot's notes are heavily encrypted. Even with Penny's help, it took a long time just to learn this much. That said, the machines are all there. It shouldn't be a problem to reverse-engineer them."

Ironwood sighed. " _That's one good thing to come out of this mess at least. As for the bodies of the people Merlot used, did Jaune come across any of them?"_

Polendina shook his head. "By some miracle, he didn't. Human subjects were kept on the second floor, not that there were any alive by the time those two arrived."

The doctor wondered just how much of that had been luck and how much had been thanks to Penny's directions. Had his daughter intentionally chosen a route that would keep them from seeing what remained of those people? If so, was it kindness or practicality that guided her hand?

Had Penny wanted to spare them that sight or had she reasoned seeing such a thing would lower Arc's combat efficiency?

Oh, who was he kidding?

Of course it had been kindness! His daughter's heart was way too large for her own good.

" _What about the mutated Grimm?"_ Ironwood asked. " _Specialist Schnee mentioned them in her report. What do we know about their creation?"_

Polendina grimaced. "Not much, and by not much, I mean nothing at all, It's not likely to change either."

Ironwood's very unamused face somehow managed to become even more unamused. The man truly had a gift for displaying multiple levels of stern disapproval.

" _Explain."_

"Merlot covered his bases well. The moment his systems detected our virus, several security measures were enacted. Releasing the Grimm was just one of them. Deleting the most sensitive files without leaving a trace was another. We have full access to Merlot's installations now, but without his files, it's going to take a lot of guesswork to figure out how he modified those Wendigos."

Polendina's shrug showed what he thought of their odds.

" _I see."_ Ironwood took a deep breath. His muscles strained against his neatly-pressed uniform, a testament to how frustrated he was. " _For now, that will be our top priority. I want you on it as soon as possible."_

"No."

" _I beg your pardon."_ The frozen cold barely held back in Ironwood's voice would have sent battle-hardened Huntsmen running in fear. Professor Polendina did not even flinch. He stared back at Ironwood, nonplussed.

"Finding out what Merlot did might be your first priority, but it isn't mine. Need I remind you of our deal?" Polendina fired back. "Penny is my top priority. I don't care how many people died in Merlot's experiments or why he thought making Grimm more dangerous was a good idea. My research is for my daughter. You want someone to help you figure out Merlot's mess? Get another scientist to do it, preferably one who actually specializes in Grimm research. Gods know there are enough PhDs in Atlas."

Their eyes warred against each other. It lasted no more than three seconds, yet had someone else been there, that person would surely have suffocated.

In the end, it was the general who gave up first.

" _You're right,"_ he admitted with a sigh. " _That's not what I hired you for. IXA is still a priority, and I have more than enough people to investigate every inch of that accursed place without unduly occupying your time."_ Ironwood's mental hand curled into a fist. " _I am just… frustrated. How did this happen? How could we miss it? Fort Grey is right there! How was that lab even working?"_

"I can help shed some light into that," Polendina said. "According to the blueprints Penny recovered, there is a Dust vein located right under the building. The lab was supposed to reach all the way down there, allowing the droids to mine it."

A costly endeavor. There was a reason why mining companies used people instead of robots. If a robot broke, you would need to spend quite a bit of money on repairing it or buying a new one.

If a miner broke, you could just hire another one. There was no end of faunus looking for jobs out there.

" _By mining the Dust, the lab would have been able to continue functioning without trouble,"_ Ironwood deduced, his brow furrowed in thought. " _Runaway miners would have easily been captured by the robots without us noticing. The SDC wouldn't have bothered to report the disappearances."_

After all, a missing miner was hardly unheard of.

"Yes, that would explain everything… except the construction never reached that point," Polendina said. "Penny confirmed it for me. The lab was working, but it was never finished. It never reached the Dust vein. There is no way those droids would have been able to mine it. Similarly, while the droids could have captured some of the miners who ran away, there is no way they would have been able to capture so many Grimm without drawing attention. "

" _What are you saying?"_

"I'm saying all evidence points to someone having used that lab very recently. Someone came in and brought people and Grimm for testing. They also brought enough Dust to power the facility for months."

Polendina pressed his hands together, a severe frown on his face.

"Just how sure are we that Merlot died in Mountain Glenn?"

xXx

"So you're not actually in Fort Grey?"

It had been an hour since Jaune had left the infirmary, having lost consciousness shortly after the soldiers picked him up and loaded him on the bullhead. By the time he woke, IXA had been taken off him, and his body had been wrapped in bandages.

The suit had heated his body enough to cause minor burns. Nothing serious, of course. Although it had been Jaune's first real battle, IXA had not taken nearly as much of a toll on him as it had the first time he put the thing on. His Aura had already healed his injuries.

Well, Jaune thought, rubbing his arm, almost all of them.

A minor burn had been left on his arm from when he'd used the IXA Knuckle on the Grimm, the Wendigo.

It was nothing serious. According to the base's doctor, his Aura should slowly heal it over the next few months until it was barely noticeable. He had wanted Jaune to stay the night for observation, but Jaune had been too restless to listen. The moment the doctor turned his attention elsewhere, Jaune's legs had taken him out of the room.

He had wandered through the base and eventually reached the roof. His Atlas-issued jacket protected him from the cold while he stared at the horizon, sitting on the edge.

It was then that Penny's call had reached him. For the past few minutes, she had been keeping him company.

 _"Negative,"_ she replied. " _I currently reside in Atlas, Rider Jaune."_

"Then how...?"

" _As I said before, my father called upon my aid to sift through the data recovered from Merlot's computer. The virus my father designed transmitted the data from Merlot's lab to Fort Grey and then to Altas using the CCT support towers. When I found out what Merlot's security measures would do, I had Father transmit the call to you."_

"You were able to go through so much information so quickly? That's amazing!"

" _When it comes to computers, I am, as they say, the bomb."_

Jaune chuckled. The call was sound-only, but he could almost imagine Penny puffing her chest with pride.

Come to think of it, he had no idea what Penny looked like, did he?

"I guess you are." Jaune scratched his cheek. "So, Doctor Polendina is your father then?"

" _Indeed, he is, Rider Jaune."_

"And how is that like?"

Jaune didn't mean to sound rude, but he couldn't imagine the workaholic man ever finding the patience to settle down, let alone raise a daughter.

" _Oh, he is wonderful!"_ Penny said. " _Father teaches me many things. We spent a lot of time together."_

"You do?" Jaune blinked. That didn't sound right. "I thought the doctor barely left his lab?"

He was pretty sure of it. It was a running joke among the staff.

" _O-Of course!"_ Penny hiccuped. " _Of course, Father is a busy man. I meant to say we call each other a lot."_ She hiccuped again. " _Yes, we spend time together through scroll calls. That is what I meant, Rider Jaune!"_

Jaune blinked. Not even he was dense enough to miss something wasn't quite right with that answer, but his parents had raised him better than to intrude on other people's family matters.

Besides, he owed Penny for helping him out. Might as well change the subject.

"Say, Penny, since it's safe to say you know about IXA," Another oddity. "Do you know if it's going to be fixed soon?"

" _Ah, yes!"_ Penny seemed happy for the change in subject. " _Father was most pleased by the data collected during your fight against the Wendigo. He is currently reviewing IXA's video feed, although he had to mute it first."_

Jaune furrowed his brow. "How come?"

" _You were screaming too much, Rider Jaune."_

Jaune swallowed.

"I was screaming?"

" _Oh yes, you were quite loud, Rider Jaune. I tried giving tactical advice several times, but you did not seem to hear me,"_ the girl replied. " _Based on my analysis, it is safe to say the pressure of the situation overrode some of your cognitive abilities. As I understand, it is fairly common when facing combat for the first time."_

Oh.

Was that how things happened?

Sure, his throat had hurt after the fight, but had he really been screaming all throughout it? Had Penny been giving him advice, and he was just so focused on stopping the Wendigo that he hadn't heard it?

That was worrying.

It was also not something he wanted to think about right now, so Jaune tossed that knowledge and everything related to it to a dark corner of his mind that housed most of his doubts and fears.

It was a very cramped corner.

"You know," Jaune said. "You don't have to call me Rider all the time. It sounds too official. We're friends. Just call me Jaune."

A garbled, high-pitched sound came from the other end of the line.

" _F-Friends!?"_ Penny said. " _Do you... Are we really friends?"_

"Of course we are! We watched cartoons together, and you helped me save a bunch of people from Grimm. That makes us friends as far as I'm concerned." He cocked his head to the side. "Don't tell me I was the only one who thought that way?"

" _N-No! Of course not, Friend Jaune!"_

"You don't really need to add the-"

" _This is sensational!"_ Penny wasn't listening anymore. " _We can play games. Oh, we can play right now!"_

"Right now?"

Penny did not answer right away. Instead, a chess app he didn't remember downloading booted on his scroll.

The enemy player's username was P3nny14159.

Jaune shrugged. "Okay, sure. Why not?"

xXx

The night's cold air hit Jaune's cheeks as he idly traced a finger over his scroll. In the end, thirty games passed before Jaune and Penny said their goodbyes. She sounded like she wanted to keep playing, but her father had entrusted her with a few tasks that required her full attention.

Although the number of games played might give one the impression a lot of time had gone by, it more spoke of the disparity of skill between them.

Jaune was no stranger to chess. In a family as large as his, board and card games were fairly common. Monopoly. Chess. Checkers. Poker. Remnant. If it existed, chances were the Arcs had played it at least once. As far as chess skill went, Jaune was probably one of the better players in his family, below his parents and Bleu, but above everyone else.

Penny defeated him in ten turns the first time they played.

Their last game lasted thirty-five turns, but Jaune had only been delaying the inevitable. Playing against Penny was nerve-wracking. She chose her moves so quickly, he ended up getting caught in her pace.

It was like she didn't need to think at all.

The whole thing would have dented his pride, if Penny hadn't been so happy throughout it all, and not in a mean-spirited way. Rather than being happy she beat him, Penny just seemed glad to have someone to play with. She was so unfailingly innocent about her overwhelming strength, Jaune couldn't muster the will to feel bad about losing.

He was still going to suggest another game next time they played.

It was probably going to be Hungry Hippos.

"Ha! Told you he was here!"

Jaune turned to see Red and Blue walking into the roof. Red smiled at him and raised his hand in greeting.

"Am I in trouble?" Jaune couldn't help but ask. He had left the infirmary without permission.

"For what? Taking a walk? Nah." Red plopped himself down next to him. "Figure you'd need some time to yourself, Jaune."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "No Yellow John this time?"

He immediately cursed himself for reminding Red of that but was surprised to see the soldier shaking his head. "Eh, it wasn't catching on. It's fine. We'll figure out a cool name for you later."

"Please, don't."

"What he means to say is that he's trying to be considerate in light of what happened," Blue said, taking Jaune's other side. "How are your injuries?"

Jaune turned to Red, looking for confirmation, but the soldier's face was a mask. Literally. He and Blue never seemed to take their helmets off.

Seriously, how did they not get tired of wearing those things?

"I'm okay," Jaune answered. He absent-mindedly rubbed his arm. "A bit sore, but my Aura already took care of most of it. The doctor told me there wouldn't be lasting damage."

"I guess that's what having a big Aura does for you," Red said, clicking his tongue. "You're so lucky. If it had been me, I'd probably be in bed for a week."

"I'm sorry?" Jaune said, not knowing how else to react. Blue sighed.

"He's trying to compliment you."

"Oh," Jaune said. "Thank you then?"

"No problem!" Red said, patting Jaune's back energetically. Months ago, those friendly pats would have knocked him over. Now, he barely felt them. Aura was truly amazing. "But hey, your first mission! You did good!"

"I did?" He really needed to stop answering with questions. "I mean, Winter did most of the job."

Winter had taken three Wendigos on her own while he had barely been able to take down one.

He hadn't even been able to stop it from reaching the town!

"If not for you, that Grimm would have hurt all those people. That's a huge achievement!" Again Red patted him on the back while laughing. "It's okay to be proud of yourself, you know? How many people get to say they saved an entire town during their first mission?"

Blue sighed again. "He's trying to ask how you're doing after the mission. From what we heard, you didn't exactly get that many cheers."

"Dude!"

"What?"

"Ever heard of tact?"

"Ever heard of getting to the point?"

"I was getting to it!"

"No, it's okay," Jaune said, surprisingly himself by calm he sounded. "It's fine. Really. It kind of bothered me a little, but it's not a big deal. I didn't do all those things to get praised."

Even if it would have felt kind of nice.

It was how things were supposed to go, wasn't it? The hero saved the village from the monster, and everyone cheered for him. They sang songs in his name, and a pretty girl would kiss him before he rode off into the sunset.

They weren't supposed to look at the hero like he was another monster.

In the townspeople's defense, Jaune had been wearing IXA. He knew he hadn't exactly cut the most approachable figure back then. Besides, he wasn't lying when he said he hadn't saved those people to be praised. The thought had not even once crossed his mind.

All Jaune had been thinking about was that he needed to stop the Grimm. He needed to save those people. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Still, it hurt.

"That was a nice answer," Blue said, nodding. He then pushed something into Jaune's chest. "Too bad we aren't buying it. Drink."

Jaune blinked as he looked at the cold metal can in his hands.

Atlas Bock.

"You are giving me beer?"

"Damn right, we are!" It was Red who spoke this time. He held a beer can in one hand and a six-pack in the other. A look at Blue confirmed there was another six-pack next to him.

How had he not noticed those?

"You did a good thing. Now, we celebrate!"

"You guys know I'm fifteen, right?" Jaune asked, earning a snort from both men.

"You're old enough to fight Grimm and save a town. You're old enough to drink. Just make sure not to make a habit out of it," Blue said, opening his own beer. He took a long swig. "Besides, if you don't drink, Red will pour the beer down your throat."

The man in question nodded. "I totally will."

Faced with pressure from both sides, Jaune sighed and opened his beer can. The drink ended up not tasting as bad he feared, nor did it burn its way down his throat.

Jaune took another sip, then a longer one.

Red grinned. "Good, eh?"

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah."

For a while, none of them spoke. They just stared into the horizon as empty beer cans accumulated around them. It was when Jaune was halfway through his third beer that he opened his mouth.

"Is it always like that? The people… do they always react like that?"

Red mulled over his question for a second.

"I want to tell you it had more to do with you looking like a killer robot, but that wouldn't be fair to you. Don't get me wrong. People have a lot of respect for the military, but when it comes to faunus, it gets complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"There are several factors that come into play," Blue said, taking over the explanation. "The Faunus War is a big one."

Jaune frowned.

The Faunus War. More commonly known as the Faunus Rights Revolution. The whole thing had started with Mistral trying to deport all faunus within its borders to Menagerie. The faunus hadn't liked that and fought back.

To everyone's surprise, the faunus ended up winning.

"Officially, the Faunus War was an affair between the Kingdom of Mistral and all the faunus living there, but troops from Atlas were sent to Mistral during the war. Not to aid in suppressing the faunus, of course," Blue was quick to add. "With Mistral using most of its militia to fight the faunus, there weren't many people left to protect the borders from the Grimm. Soldiers from Altas were sent there to bolster Mistral's defenses."

Blue grimaced. "However, it would be a lie to say no incidents between the Atlas military and the faunus belligerents happened, and a bigger lie to say no people died during those. It was war, and tensions were high. Shit happened. If you ask different people, you'll get different answers over how the whole thing went down. Over time, it became accepted among faunus that Atlas sent troops there to help Mistral pacify them even though that's not what really happened. It has been decades since then, but many faunus are still leery about us, not necessarily without reason."

"Also, they were miners, so that kind of adds to the whole thing," Red added.

Jaune was about to ask what that meant when a new voice provided the answer.

"The SDC is known to skimp out on their screening processes for hiring laborers. This leads to people with less than desirable attributes being placed in positions of authority."

Jaune's eyes bugged out as he saw Winter Schnee walking towards them. The woman was dressed in her Specialist uniform. There was not a single wrinkle in it nor a hair out of place in her head. No one would be able to tell she had been fighting against dozens of foes less than a day ago.

More importantly, she was his superior officer, and he had a can of beer in his hand.

"I-Ma'am this is…"

"We were just…"

"This is their fault!"

Winter sighed. "At ease, gentlemen. I am not here to punish you."

The three men watched in bizarre fascination as Winter Schnee sat down next to them. She grabbed a beer and opened it with practiced ease.

Jaune stared as she drank. He wasn't the only one. Jaune then looked at his beer for a very long second in which he wondered if things would make more sense if he finished it.

He did, but they didn't.

"So," Jaune said, deciding to give up on things making sense, "What did you mean by people with less than desirable attributes, ma'am?"

"She meant racists," Blue answered.

"Precisely," Winter nodded. "Imagine what would happen if someone with less than kind feelings towards faunus were to have dozens of them working for him. It is a mining town, which means it will most likely be isolated from civilization. The people there all work for the SDC. Many abuses of power can and do happen under those circumstances."

"It's the sort of thing that leads one to become disenchanted with authority," Blue added.

"Are you saying those miners were being…?" Jaune trailed off, blinking as his mind made the connection. "But would they be able to get away with stuff like that with a military base so close by?"

"Usually not," Winter said, taking another swig of her beer. "Unless, of course, someone here deliberately looked the other way, or worse, was paid to look the other way."

Blue frowned. "Ma'am, are you suggesting that-"

"I am," Winter cut in, her voice cold. "I have included my suspicions in my report to General Ironwood. An investigation will be launched soon enough to verify how accurate they are. Fort Grey, it seems to me, has been left unattended for far too long."

"So that's why they acted so scared of us?" Jaune asked. "The overseers in the mines abuse them, and the military doesn't do a thing to help?"

"It is a possibility," Winter said.

"Makes you feel better about how they reacted to you, doesn't it?"

"It makes me feel worse! Shouldn't we do something about it? We should do something about it!"

"Easy there," Blue said, grabbing Jaune by the shoulder and pushing him down as he was about to stand. "What do you think you're going to do? Go there, demand answers, and beat anyone who tries to stop you?"

"Maybe…?"

"That would be pointless," Winter chided. "Such a course of action may make you feel better at the moment, but it will ultimately cause more harm than good. General Ironwood has already been informed of the situation. That is all we can do right now." Her gaze softened. "The general is a good man. If anything crooked is happening in Fort Grey, he will make sure to stamp it out. Additionally, the discovery of Merlot's lab means more personnel will be sent here, personnel approved personally by General Ironwood. You can be sure any potential abuses of power happening will cease to exist soon enough."

"So maybe, just focus on the stuff you can do right now instead of the things you can't," Red added.

Jaune did not say anything for a while. He thought of the miners and Dr. Onyx all the way back in Atlas. He thought of IXA and Ironwood and his role in everything.

What could he do for now?

"Are we doing laps tomorrow?" He asked Winter.

"Do you wish to?"

"Yes, I think I'd like that, ma'am."

xXx

Penny was unmatched when it came to sifting through data, but not even she had been able to glimpse every action taken by Merlot's security system. She hadn't realized that the moment the facility had detected intruders, all the video files being recorded were streamed to a nearby CCT Support Tower which had bounced them to another Support Tower then another and another until it reached the central tower in Atlas.

From there, reaching a small island many miles away from Vale had been all too easy.

Thin lips curved into a smile as their owner watched a recording of IXA tearing apart a security droid before manhandling a medium-sized Ursa.

"Well," the man said. "This is interesting."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Do Individual System, I told myself. It'll be easy. No heavy subjects. Just mindless action. You can leave all that stuff for when you're writing Maybe I'm a Lion.**

 **Screw you, Past Me!**

 **In case it isn't clear from the chapter, the SDC doesn't go out of its way to abuse faunus. It just ends up creating circumstances in which abuse is likely to happen because Jacques is a penny-pincher.**

 **Also, canonically, the Faunus Rights Revolution seems to have been a conflict between the faunus and all four kingdoms. As you can tell by the chapter, I'm changing it to something smaller. Because the faunus managing to win against the four kingdoms at once never made much sense to me. Here, it was just Mistral who they fought against. There were a few conflicts with the Atlas troops sent there, but nothing critical.**

 **Anyway, IXA has had its first successful field test. Jaune has gotten a taste of heroism and befriended Penny. Merlot is lurking in the background. Time for the story to move to the next stage!**

 **Next Time: Count the Medals!**


	11. Count the Medals! Part I

**This story now has over 500 favs as of the time I'm posting this chapter. I want to take a moment to thank everyone who made that possible. It means a lot. I'm glad so many people enjoy this fic.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

James Ironwood didn't have much free time. It had been that way for the longest time.

When Ironwood had been young, he and his team had always been out on missions. As he grew older, the jobs he had to do changed. No longer was he out there killing Grimm, patrolling the borders, or even doing secret jobs for Ozpin. Now, paperwork was his bread and butter.

Read. Sign. Stamp.

Read. Sign. Stamp.

Repeat as necessary.

It was only to be expected. James Ironwood was a headmaster, a general, and the owner of two seats in the Atlas Council.

For the headmaster of a Huntsmen Academy to hold a council seat wasn't exactly unheard of. Leonardo Lionheart over at Haven was one such example. He was the headmaster of Haven Academy and had a seat in the Mistral Council.

Like him, there were many similar cases to be found ever since the end of the Great War.

Ironwood had just gone a step beyond.

Some people had complained about centralizing so much power in one man. Even Ozpin had expressed some concerns, but Ironwood had not allowed those opinions to sway him from his chosen path. Really, he didn't understand what Ozpin found so objectionable about his actions. It wasn't as if Ozpin was a stranger to having power. If anything, he was one of the most politically powerful men in Vale. The headmaster of Beacon was a Councilman in all but name, though he would likely kill himself before ever admitting that.

For a reincarnating wizard that had designed the current world order in a way that allowed him to always have some level of control over the affairs of the four kingdoms via the huntsman academies, Ozpin drew the line at rather odd places.

Regardless, with all the power Ironwood held came responsibilities. Hundreds of them.

Literally. Hundreds.

Read. Sign. Stamp.

Most of the documents that passed through his desk were things that really shouldn't need his approval. Pathetic as it might sound, the most powerful man in Atlas spent most of his time doing a job even a monkey could do. A part of him wished that he could just sign every one of these documents without reading them. However, doing so would be foolish. Ironwood had long lost count of how many times someone had tried to sneak in something in a seemingly mundane document.

Another part of Ironwood's job were the many trips and parties and absolutely necessary meetings with "important people" he needed to attend. You'd think people would just let him protect the kingdom from the monsters that had threatened humanity since the dawn of time, but no. Gods forbid he missed a gala.

Over the years, Ironwood had come up with several ways to ease his many burdens, mostly because if he didn't, he'd never have time to get anything important done.

Chief among those ways was Agnes.

Agnes was his secretary and had been so for the past five years. She was a short, stout woman with a face that might as well have been carved from stone. Other people in Ironwood's position might have picked someone more approachable. Certainly, there had been no shortage of attractive young women with impressive resumes applying for the position, but Ironwood was smarter than that.

Agnes was neither welcoming nor friendly. She was a no-nonsense woman who could intimidate even huntsmen-in-training with a stern glare, and Agnes always wore a stern glare. Anyone who wanted a meeting with him would have to get through Agnes first. That ensured only those who really needed it would be able to get in touch with him.

Unfortunately, not even Agnes could turn everyone away.

" _You have been hiding things from me."_

James rolled his eyes as he signed yet another document before putting his pen down. Briefly, he thanked the circumstances that had given him a metal arm. He was sure his hand would cramp terribly otherwise.

"You are going to have to be a little more specific, Jacques. I know several state secrets that I am not at liberty to discuss with you. I am sure you can understand why."

Rich as the CEO of the SDC might be, Jacques Schnee was still just a civilian.

" _Please, do not attempt to play coy."_ The white-haired man's prominent mustache twitched as he spoke.

In the safety of his own mind, Ironwood cursed the man who thought video calls were a good idea. What was wrong with sound-only? You didn't need to look at someone to talk to them. Especially when he had literally a dozen better things to do with his time than pay attention to Jacques Schnee.

Unfortunately, Jacques Schnee wasn't someone he could afford to ignore. The man played a critical role in the world stage.

In spite of many attempts to branch out, Dust was still the most reliable source of energy in Remnant. Cars, ships, machinery, weapons. Everything ran on Dust, and the SDC was the largest provider of Dust on the planet. That made Jacques Schnee, owner of the SDC, a very powerful man.

For better or worse, it was in Ironwood's best interests to keep a good business relationship with him.

" _I received some interesting footage from one of my mines,_ " Jacques said, almost conversationally. " _The one near Fort Grey. I am sure you are familiar with it."_

Ironwood's lips thinned.

Jacques Schnee smiled.

" _I must say, that is quite a toy you have there,"_ Jacques said, his hands steepled over his desk. Satisfaction radiated from the man. The type that could only come from someone who knew he had just gained the upper hand in the conversation. " _The cameras caught quite a bit of the fight against that Grimm."_

Jacques knew. He knew, and there was no point in trying to convince him otherwise. Jacques Schnee was many things, but an idiot was not one of them.

Oh, well.

Regrettable as this might seem, IXA was always going to become public knowledge. Ideally, Ironwood would have preferred if IXA remained a secret for another year, but Jacques learning of it was not an unsalvageable situation.

" _However, I feel a little insulted the SDC was not trusted with such a project,"_ Jacques continued. " _We have, after all, an exclusive contract with Atlas on droid development."_

Droid?

Did Jacques think…?

It took all of Ironwood's prodigious willpower—the same willpower that had kept him alive after the tragic accident that had cost him almost half his body—to not show any outward reaction to Jacques' words.

It made sense. If Jacques had discovered IXA thanks to the security cameras near the mine, then he should only have received footage of IXA fighting the Wendigo and the soldiers coming to pick it up. Atlas having a new type of combat android was a natural assumption for him to make based on that information. It sounded far more believable than Atlas having come up with a power armor that worked using the wearer's Aura.

The notion of a person being underneath IXA likely hadn't even occurred to Jacques.

Now, how to play this?

"If you are concerned over the possibility of us working with another company behind the SDC's back, then you can rest easy," Ironwood said smoothly. "IXA was made entirely by the military. There are no external contracts involved in its production."

" _And you expect me to believe Atlas will foot the bill to mass produce something like that?"_ Jacques scoffed. " _You say there is no company involved in the production of this… IXA now, but what about in a year or even a few months?"_

Ah, Ironwood's eyes flashed with understanding, so this was what Jacques wanted.

Always after a contract.

The relationship between Atlas and the SDC was fundamentally a simple one, though it may not always seem that way. An inexperienced observer may see Atlas as beholden to the SDC considering the sheer amount of Dust they bought from it as well as the many military contracts the company had been granted over the years. The White Fang certainly saw it that way.

However, their relationship went both ways. Atlas was by far the SDC's biggest client. Without Atlas to buy all that Dust, the company would experience massive losses.

In layman terms, they needed each other.

Jacques had seen IXA's performance and thought some company was trying to cheat him out of a potentially lucrative contract. No doubt he wanted the SDC to be the one to mass produce IXA.

"It is true that mass-producing IXA would be a challenge for us." Atlas already had to take care of so many other things. It was why it was easier to let the SDC handle the mass-production of the Atlesian Knight series and other combat droids. "However, there are no plans to mass-produce IXA."

Jacques frowned. " _You will have to forgive me if I find that hard to believe."_

"I cannot blame you, but it is the truth, Jacques," Ironwood replied, looking completely at ease. "As I am sure you have noticed, IXA's performance is far superior to that of other combat droids."

Jacques' frown grew deeper. However, the truth was undeniable. Short of something like a Colossus, no mere robot could surpass IXA.

Well, maybe the Paladins would, but Ironwood doubted that would remain the case once Jaune Arc's skill grew.

"However, such a high-performance does not lend itself to mass production," the general continued. "IXA is meant to be a high-end unit designed to combat extremely dangerous species of Grimm. Even for the SDC, the costs of mass-producing IXA while keeping its specs as they are would be astronomical. It would be like trying to mass-produce the Colossus. I'm sure you have had your people ran the numbers on how much that little venture would cost."

The slight choke from Jacques told James that he had indeed done that.

There was a reason why Atlas had only made ten of those things.

" _So what? Your plan is to make only a few of these… IXAs? How many? Five hundred? Two?"_

"One hundred," Ironwood answered. "While Atlas will continue using the Atlesian Knight series as our main forces, IXA will serve as a commander-type unit. A symbol for the people."

Light shined in Jacques' eyes. " _And I assume there are already plans for action figures and all sorts of merchandise for the patriotic young children of Atlas to pester their parents into buying."_

Ironwood smiled. "That contract is still open."

Jacques Schnee placed his elbows on his desk and brought his hands together, a serious look on his face. " _And when exactly were you planning on revealing your latest toy to the people?"_

"As I am sure you must have been able to tell from the video, IXA is combat ready. I was merely waiting for the right occasion."

Jacques' blue eyes judged him carefully. If the older man spotted any weakness, any trace of deceit, he would pounce on it right away. However, he didn't.

James Ironwood was an honest man and a damn good liar.

" _I am hosting a party for the maiden voyage of the Argonaut,"_ Jacques said at last. " _I trust you are familiar with the specifics."_

"I have seen the news."

The Argonaut.

The SDC's latest luxury airship. It had ten five-star restaurants, spacious rooms, six different pools, and the best amenities money could buy. It would fly from Atlas to Argus where there would be a party, before setting off on a luxury trip around the world. The tickets had been sold out for months.

"You want IXA on the ship?"

" _For the party and the press conference. I believe it would reaffirm the bonds between Atlas and the SDC,"_ Jacques said, smiling behind his mustache. " _I am also sure your new toy would benefit from the exposure."_

As with most things, he wasn't wrong. Ironwood leaned in.

"I am listening."

xXx

The Wendigo opened its mouth in a silent screech.

Clad in IXA, Jaune quickly stepped to the side to dodge. The Grimm shot off like a cannonball and slammed against the wall with such force that the entirety of the pure white room trembled. However, even an impact like that wasn't enough to slow it down.

It stood up right away, head and body twitching in awkward motions. Jaune readied himself for the next round.

The beast jumped.

Its strength was such that it reached the ceiling right away. Before that happened, the beast twisted its body, so it landed legs first. The moment it touched the ceiling, it jumped off, coming down on Jaune like a comet.

Jaune moved away, but the beast had been expecting it. It leapt away the moment it touched the floor, not giving Jaune time to counterattack.

Again and again, it leaped around the room. From walls to ceiling to floor like a demented pinball. Jaune gritted his teeth with impatience. Dodging the beast wasn't hard. A few steps to the right. A few steps to the left. A few steps forward. Once he got the monster's rhythm down, Jaune would even dare say it became almost easy.

However, he couldn't win by just dodging.

He needed to stop the Wendigo's movements somehow. Not for the first time, he became annoyed by IXA's lack of ranged weapons. Jaune was stuck using his hands and feet, which meant if he wanted to stop the Wendigo, he needed to get close to it.

If he got close, he'd be more likely to receive damage, and considering how badly the Wendigo was damaging the supposedly reinforced training room, it would hurt.

A lot.

On the other hand, if he took too long with this, Winter would yell at him. More than she was already going to.

Hm.

Decisions. Decisions.

With a mental sigh, Jaune planted his feet firmly on the ground as the monster came for him. He raised his arm as its massive claw swung down.

The force of the ensuing shockwave shook the whole room and cratered the floor around them. Jaune winced as pain bloomed in his left arm. Still, he got what he wanted.

For one moment, the Wendigo wasn't moving.

His right fist smashed into and through the beast's chest. Cracks spread through the Wendigo's crystalline body before it shattered into a thousand pieces that soon faded away.

Jaune let out a sigh of relief as the alarm signaling the end of the exercise rang. He experimentally shook his left arm, which was rapidly growing numb. It was probably going to bruise later on, and it was going to be a nasty bruise at that.

Good thing he had Aura.

"So, how was that, Doctor?" Jaune asked, raising his head to look at the cameras. Even though the Wendigo had been jumping all over the room, it had never once touched them. Amazing.

As expected of Winter.

" _Excellent!"_ Doctor Polendina replied. " _It seems everything works as intended. How does the suit feel now?"_

"It's good," Jaune replied, before thinking over the question carefully. "The suit doesn't overheat nearly as much now. It feels lighter as well, but that might be because I've gotten used to wearing it."

After the fight at Fort Grey, Doctor Polendina had repaired the suit before having Jaune do a few more tests. Nothing as taxing as the fight against the Wendigo. Just a few exercises in the snow. Once they had returned to Atlas, however, Polendina had really picked the suit apart. Jaune hadn't seen the man for weeks.

Now, they were testing the latest version of IXA.

Jaune could definitely feel the improvement.

" _It's only to be expected,"_ Polendina said. Jaune could faintly hear him taking down notes. " _The data from the fight against the Wendigo was most useful for improving the Aura Reactor."_

"Wait, you tweaked the reactor?" Jaune gulped as his hand reached for his chest. As much as he trusted Doctor Polendina's big brain, he still remembered the suit had blown up on him due to that same reactor. Any mention of it being messed with understandably made him a little nervous.

" _Oh, I did more than just tweak,"_ Polendina replied imperiously. " _You're wearing an entirely new version. It's far more stable than the previous model. As I'm sure you have noticed, it doesn't consume your Aura at nearly the same speed as before, leading to less overheating. By my estimates, you should be able to use IXA twice as much as before."_

"Huh."

It was true he had been wearing IXA for over an hour now, and he didn't even feel winded. Granted, most of that hour had been spent doing boring exercises before the fight against the Wendigo, but still. "That's cool."

" _Yes, I suppose you can call revolutionary advancements in technology 'cool.'" J_ aune could almost feel the man rolling his eyes at him. " _Now, is there anything you wish to say? Something you feel is necessary for me to know?"_

"I'd really like a weapon," Jaune said immediately. "The IXA Knuckle is good, but it's meant for close range."

When he'd been chasing the Wendigo to stop it from reaching the mines, a gun would have been handy. Honestly, that IXA had no ranged weapons had always seemed odd to Jaune. He'd seen enough tournaments through the CCTNet to know everything nowadays turned into a gun or some sort of ranged weapon.

Even when it made no sense for it to be.

He still remembered that recording from a Vytal Festival about two decades ago. One of the participants had a thermos that turned into a flamethrower.

Who did that?

Seriously, who?

Regardless, it made IXA, which was supposed to be the latest in Atlesian technology, not having anything more than the IXA Knuckle odd, to say the least.

" _I see how that could be a problem,"_ Polendina replied. " _Originally, IXA was meant to have more than one weapon. IXA Calibur was to be IXA's main weapon while the IXA Knuckle would have been a backup weapon. At least, that was how it was supposed to be in the planning stages."_

"Wait, what?"

IXA Calibur? The suit had another weapon he could have been using?

"What happened to it?"

" _You blew up."_ Polendina's plainly delivered words brought Jaune's speculation to a screeching halt. " _The accident proved the Aura Reactor was not ready to fully power IXA. It couldn't handle the necessary Aura. After the explosion, we had to make several changes to IXA, so it would demand less energy from the reactor. Removing IXA Calibur was one of those changes."_

Jaune looked down.

"Oh," he said glumly.

" _It wasn't the only thing we had to change. We needed to reduce several of IXA's parameters for you to operate it. You can say the current version of IXA is in a Safe to Use Mode or Safe Mode for short."_

Jaune considered all he had done with IXA for a moment. The suit dramatically boosted all his stats and protected him from harm. With IXA, he was easily a match for most huntsmen-in-training. Winter had told him that, so he knew it wasn't an exaggeration.

This was Safe Mode?

" _As we stabilize the Aura Reactor, IXA will become able to unleash its full capabilities. Until then, well, I suppose we could commission a handgun for you. I will leave that up to Specialist Schnee. Speaking of...I don't think I can keep her away for much longer. You're on your own."_

Jaune never got the chance to ask what Polendina meant by that. The door to the training room chose that moment to open and in walked a very irritated Winter Schnee.

"What was the meaning of that?"

"I… won?"

The moment Winter's eyes narrowed, Jaune knew that had been the wrong thing to say.

"Of course you won!" The woman snapped at him. "If you had lost against a summon of that level, it would have been an embarrassment!"

Jaune winced. Still, Winter had a point. Her summon was not weak, but fighting the real Wendigo had been an entirely different experience. Jaune now understood what Winter meant by the difference between training against her ice constructs and fighting real Grimm.

Merlot's experiment had been a mad beast that wanted nothing more than to reach the nearest population center and cause havoc. It had no interest in facing him. Jaune had to chase it through the snow for miles to bring it down.

It was nothing at all like fighting Winter's Wendigo in the relative safety of the training room. There was nowhere for the Wendigo to run or hide. There were no unexpected factors to consider. It was just strength against strength.

And Jaune had a lot of strength.

"The point of this exercise was not mere victory. Only a fool would take pride in accomplishing the minimum," Winter continued, now going into full lecture mode. "You were to take down the Wendigo by properly timing your counterattacks. Receiving attacks head-on like a fool is beneath you."

Jaune winced. Getting scolded by Winter always hurt, especially because she was always on point. She was probably already planning a presentation that would show him each dumb mistake he had made during the fight or something.

"I thought I was supposed to take advantage of my strengths."

Why, mouth? Why?

"In a real fight, I would have minimal problems with the maneuver you used," Winter said, much to Jaune's surprise. "However, this was not a real battle. This is training. That means you are able to try out new strategies without having to worry about dying if you make a wrong move."

Uplifting as always.

"Tell me something, Arc. Do you know what the biggest difference between you and the students training in Atlas Academy and other Combat Schools is? Beyond your Aura, of course."

Jaune thought carefully on his answer. He knew the obvious choice was most likely to be wrong, but his brain couldn't come up with anything else.

"I am slow?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"I'm slow, ma'am," Jaune affirmed. "I cannot move as fast as people who have trained for much longer than I have."

Case in point, Winter always made him feel horribly ungraceful whenever they sparred. His large Aura gave him incredible toughness. However, he couldn't come close to pulling the maneuvers he had seen people in tournaments do.

"Wrong," Winter bluntly said. "Contrary to what you may believe, you do not lack speed. Aura gives you strength. Strength generates acceleration. The speed at which you close the distance between yourself and your opponent is, without a doubt, first-rate."

Jaune stared at Winter, perfectly dumbfounded.

Was Winter saying he was fast?

Then why did he…

"What you lack," Winter continued, interrupting his train of thought, "Is not speed, but conditioning. You lack the sense of timing and reflexes others have built up over years of training. That was what this exercise was supposed to accomplish. By properly countering the Wendigo's charge while trying not to get hit, you would be able to hone your reflexes and sense of timing in combat. However, if you allow yourself to remain confident in your Aura, you will merely wallow in mediocrity."

Cold blue eyes pierced through his soul.

"Those who do not step outside their comfort zone do not improve, Arc."

Oh.

Well, now Jaune just felt like a jerk.

"I apologize, ma'am. It won't happen again."

Winter regarded him for a moment. "Good. See that it doesn't."

A glyph appeared next to her.

"Let's try this again."

xXx

Sitting aboard a White Fang-owned bullhead currently flying over Anima, Adam Taurus cleaned his sword.

Another successful mission had gone by. Yet again, humans had been reminded why they should fear the faunus, and the White Fang had successfully stolen a large cargo of Dust. This time the target had been a relatively new company that thought it could compete with the SDC by exploiting its workers with the same fervor.

Well, Adam thought, not quite the same fervor. If they had, he'd have made it a point to aim to kill instead of wounding or maiming at worst.

The stolen Dust would be used for weapons and other necessities. However, part of it would be sold through the black market. With that money, clothes and food would be bought for poor faunus families in need of support.

The White Fang knew how to take care of their own.

No one else was going to.

"So what's next for us?" The man sitting beside him asked. He was a tall, muscular faunus wearing a Grimm mask that fully covered his face. It was even larger than Adam's own mask. He was a man who didn't share much of himself, but his effectiveness in combat could not be denied.

People called him Banesaw.

"You will remain in Mistral," Adam replied. "I will be returning to Atlas after this. Sienna already informed me of my next mission."

"Oh?" Even with his mask on, Adam could see Banesaw's eyes gleam with interest. "This mission from Sienna wouldn't happen to involve a certain SDC luxury ship, now would it?"

Adam said nothing. It wasn't proper to share such details so freely. Some level of professionalism was necessary for an organization like theirs.

Still, his silence was all the answer Banesaw needed.

"You lucky dog!" Banesaw said, nudging Adam with his elbow. This attracted the attention of the other members in the bullhead, but none dared to interfere with the conversation. "Man, I swear you get all the cool jobs. Why is that? It's the cool suit, isn't it? Chicks dig suits."

"I will do you a favor and not tell Sienna you just called her a chick."

Mainly because Banesaw had called his suit cool. Adam appreciated that. He put a lot of effort into making sure his suit was always in good condition. A hard task for a freedom fighter such as himself.

"As if I care!" Banesaw said, waving him off. "So is it going to be just you? Not going to take the Belladonna girl along?"

"I didn't take her to this mission," Adam replied. "What makes you think I would take Blake to something so potentially dangerous?"

She might have the skills, but Blake was still just fifteen. He wasn't much older than that, but Adam had stopped being a child a long time ago. If at all possible, he'd like to protect Blake for a little while longer. For now, attacks on shops and providing security for their rallies against the police were the most dangerous things he felt comfortable with her doing.

Sienne agreed with him, but it was for different reasons. For her, it was essential to keep the daughter of Ghira Belladonna away from needless danger.

The Argonaut was to be a gathering of Atlas' rich and powerful. A collection of those who indulged in luxury while faunus starved in the cold.

Naturally, Jacques Schnee would make sure the party was heavily guarded. The Atlas military, like the loyal dogs they were, would be there to protect their masters. There was no need for Blake to be close to that. Contrary to what she might think, it wasn't at all like fighting Grimm.

As Adam thought of Blake and Atlas, his mind drifted back to the young faunus boy he had met at that restaurant months ago. He might not have seen his face all that well due to his hood and the low lighting of the room, but his height and his voice told him all he needed to know. A young faunus who was unaware of what path to take in life.

A young faunus who had come to a gathering spot for the White Fang.

Adam understood the situation in an instant. The boy wanted to do his part for his race. Even more, he understood the inherent risks and wanted to do it anyways. Needed to do it. He wasn't like others who joined the White Fang with false notions of glory. Adam approved of people like him.

And so, he had given the boy the best advice he could.

He had to leave Atlas shortly after they had that conversation, so he never got the chance to see the effects his words had on the boy. Even now that he was going to return to Atlas, Adam doubted their paths would cross.

Still, Adam wondered how that boy was doing right now.

"Just to check, you know Belladonna is going to be angry at you for keeping her out of it right?"

"Angry? Try furious."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **When I started writing this story, I didn't realize how much of a pain italicizing all electronic communication was going to be. But damn it, I made a choice, and I'm sticking to it!**

 **Also, yes, Adam does think Jaune is a faunus. As Jaune notes in that chapter, the restaurant he went to had mostly faunus clients. Adam jumped to the assumption that was most natural to him. It helped that Jaune looks much younger than he is and his face was covered by his hood. Adam interpreted that as hiding him hiding his traits.**

 **As an aside, canonically, IXA's standard mode is called Save Mode, not Safe Mode, but I changed it to suit my purposes.**

 **Anyway, it's time for a fancy party with no altercations of any kind!**

 **Till next time!**


	12. Count the Medals! Part II

**It's time!**

* * *

There were many things about being part of the IXA Project that Jaune liked.

He was finally getting the training he had desperately wanted for most of his life. He was slowly but surely advancing towards his goal of becoming a Huntsman. He had met great people, and he had met Doctor Polendina, who was also great but in a weird mad-scientist way.

Most of all, the IXA Project had given Jaune the sense of direction and independence he hadn't realized he had wanted. Sure, being IXA was hard work. Every day, he had to wake up early in the morning for training and testing, but it was also rewarding work. For the first time, Jaune felt like he was doing something with his life, something he could be proud of.

It felt like he was moving forward.

Also, wearing IXA was really freaking cool, so yeah. There was a lot to like about being IXA.

However, if Jaune had to pick one thing he disliked about the whole thing, it'd be...

"So, like this?"

"Exactly like that. Perfect. Just hold that position while the scanners do their job. You won't feel a thing."

If Jaune had to pick one thing he disliked about being IXA, it would be all the mandatory check-ups.

Of which there were many.

So damn many.

While there had never been an accident as bad as that first explosion, IXA was still experimental technology. Who knew what effects prolonged exposure to the Aura Reactor could have on him? As such, it was necessary for Jaune's health to be carefully and regularly monitored. Better to be safe than sorry, after all.

That meant lots of getting scanned by weird machines, plenty of blood samples, and much awkwardly standing around without his shirt on.

It was why Jaune was currently standing still with his arms spread as five different machines hovered around him. What did they do? Jaune had no idea. He had asked, but the answer contained too many technical terms for him to fully understand. All he knew was that they were scanners of some sort that checked his body for anomalies. That was good enough for him.

While Jaune stood in the center of the examination room, Dr. Onyx sat near the corner. His eyes were not preoccupied with Jaune but rather with the many monitors in front of him, which showed the information being picked up by the scanners.

Personal experience had taught Jaune he was going to be standing still for at least one hour, and this was only the third round of tests he needed to get through before he could eat anything for the day.

This whole procedure was something Jaune went through once or twice every two months to ensure IXA wasn't negatively affecting his health. It was necessary, but Jaune couldn't say he cared much for it.

Yeah, Jaune really didn't care for these tests.

"You can put your arms down now," Dr. Onyx said after many minutes had passed. Jaune couldn't quite stop the groan that came from his mouth as he was finally able to move his arms freely.

"Could we please take a break, doctor?" Jaune asked while he moved his arms to work out the kinks in them.

As expected, Dr. Onyx shook his head.

"No can do. Unless, of course, you happen to fancy the notion of staying here for most of the day. Do you?"

Jaune shook his head vehemently.

The pale, horned faunus smiled. "Thought so. Don't worry. It's only a few more tests now. Although, in my professional opinion, there is no need for them."

"Then why?" Jaune whined.

"The general insisted," Dr. Onyx replied with a shrug, and really, that was all he needed to say.

The other day, General Ironwood had summoned Jaune to his office and briefed him on his next mission. IXA was finally going to be revealed to the public during the _Argonaut's_ launch. Jaune hadn't been familiar with the name, but apparently, the whole thing was supposed to be a fancy party for fancy people aboard an equally fancy ship.

It was far different from the rest of his duties so far, but that hadn't been the real surprise.

For some reason–General Ironwood hadn't been clear on the details–Jaune was going to have to pretend to be a robot while wearing IXA during this mission. Jaune couldn't say he understood it, but at least it wasn't investigating a secret lab full of Grimm and robots. If anything, going to a party sounded like a nice time. Jaune was always up for some dancing.

The downside was that to make sure IXA was in top shape for its unveiling, a full check-up was necessary.

For suit and Rider.

"I must say, I am impressed with your results," Dr. Onyx said as he filled out some information on a clipboard. "Unlocking your Aura has had a very positive effect on your body."

Jaune blinked. "It has?"

Jaune looked at himself but didn't notice much of a difference. Sure, he had shot up an inch or two, and it was true he was in better shape now, but he hadn't changed that much in these past months.

Right?

"I can pull up your old records if you want to compare," Dr. Onyx offered. "Considering the circumstances of your birth, how healthy you are now is rather amazing."

Jaune stared at the horned faunus for a moment.

"The circumstances of my what?"

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

It was the night before the launch of the _Argonaut_ , and a crowd of reporters was gathered in the conference hall of The Iceberg.

The Iceberg was one of the most luxurious and expensive hotels in Atlas. It had seventy-five floors, over five hundred rooms, and all the amenities one could expect with that size. The hotel had three different restaurants, numerous stores, a spa, a fitness center, and an indoor pool. It was often not-so-jokingly said that those who stayed in The Iceberg had no need to ever leave it.

Naturally, a night there cost more than most people earn in a year.

It cost more than some people make in their lifetimes.

Someone like Lisa Lavender usually wouldn't be in such a place. Ace reporter, she may be, but Lisa prided herself on being sensible with her money. The only way she'd ever set foot in a place like this would be if someone else was footing the bill.

Which was exactly what was going on.

This night was not about pleasure. Her presence in the hotel was strictly business.

Like her, all the reporters waiting in the conference hall had been summoned for one last press conference before the big day. According to some rumors, Jacques Schnee had a big announcement to make. In Lisa's experience, that meant Jacques Schnee did have something important to say and had paid people to spread those rumors to build up expectations.

Like any good reporter, Lisa had a few guesses about what the big announcement could be, but for now, she could only wait in her seat, microphone and recorder ready

At precisely the appointed time, he appeared.

Jacques Schnee walked into the stage wearing an elegant white suit with the Schnee emblem on one of its lapels. All muttered conversations ceased. Everyone was suddenly sitting a bit straighter. However, it was not out of respect or fear of the man, that this happened. No, it was something else entirely.

For others, this would simply be something to watch in the evening news. For the reporters assembled here, it was something else. This was their job.

This was a competition.

Jacques Schnee began his speech by making a joke. They all laughed. It was only proper. However, they were only half-paying attention. Their minds were carefully reviewing the information they had available.

The _Argonaut_ had been all over the news for weeks now. Jacques Schnee had spared no lien on this venture. He wanted everyone to know the _Argonaut_ was the ultimate luxury vessel. It could fly through the skies and sail through the seas. It had top of the line defensive systems, including Hard-Light Dust barriers, and after arriving at Argus, it would be going on a trip around the world.

However, if Jacques Schnee had called them here tonight, it meant he had yet another surprise to unveil. The one who got him to reveal it would be the unquestionable winner of the night.

In other words, for the reporters assembled tonight, it was a battle to ask the best questions.

Obviously, they planned to use every advantage they had at their disposal. Those who came from better-established networks had an edge in this contest. Lisa, who represented the Vale News Network, had a seat near the front row. Reporters from smaller channels were all the way to the back. It was unlikely Jacques Schnee would take questions from them.

Of course, being from a prominent network was not the only metric that mattered.

While Lisa wore a wine-colored gown that tastefully accentuated her figure, not everyone had been as restrained as her. Some of the more "gifted" females in the audience were close to spilling out of their tops, no doubt thinking that would help them catch Jacques Schnee's eyes.

Amateurs.

If that sort of thing helped, Lisa would be showing way more cleavage than she was right now. It was true that many negative rumors floated around Jacques Schnee, but infidelity had never been one of them. As far as Lisa could tell, the man's eyes had never once strayed. Not for a woman. Not for a man.

Jacques Schnee was loyal to the SDC and nothing else.

"-but that's enough from me for now. I believe it is time to take some questions."

At once, microphones were raised and cameras aimed. Everyone wanted to be chosen. However, the first question went to an Atlas network, the ARN. Lisa fought the urge to roll her eyes.

Typical.

The ARN always got the exclusive when it came to SDC-related news, largely because the SDC practically owned the channel.

The second, third, and fourth question went by easily enough. Lisa got the feeling they had been screened beforehand. However, when the time for the seventh question came, Jacques Schnee's blue eyes scanned the room carefully before meeting hers.

"Let's see, how about you, Miss…?"

"Lisa Lavender, Vale News Network," she said, her voice strong and her intonation impeccable. "From the moment the _Argonaut_ was revealed to the public, it became obvious that its passengers would be people of wealth."

That was putting it mildly. The passenger list of the _Argonaut_ read like a who's who of Remnant's rich and famous.

Even Spruce Willis was going to be in it!

"However, that has also attracted plenty of negative attention from extremist groups."

A kind of saying the White Fang.

"Since the _Argonaut_ was first announced, the SDC has received several threats from such groups. While it is true the _Argonaut_ boasts impressive defenses against the creatures of Grimm, have any additional measures been taken to protect the ship against other forces?"

"An excellent question," Jacques said, smiling as if bringing up the White Fang hadn't bothered him at all. Knowing the man, it probably hadn't. He'd have to be a fool not to have expected it.

"Let me be the first to say that we at the SDC take security seriously. It is because of that reason that we cannot pay attention to just any threat that comes to our mailbox. Why, if all those threats were true, I'd die at least five times before breakfast."

He laughed, and the room laughed with him. He said it so easily. As if there weren't people in his company who had been executed by the White Fang. As if the White Fang being beneath his notice was common sense, and because they were beneath his notice, they also were beneath the audience's notice.

He was good.

"Rest assured, we are taking security concerns seriously," Jacques continued. "To that end, the _Argonaut_ will be safeguarded by SDC Security."

Left unsaid was that many of the passengers would be bringing their own bodyguards with them, some of which were likely to be Huntsmen. It was far more comfortable on Jacques' pockets than hiring multiple teams of Huntsmen.

"However, that's not all!"

Oh?

Everyone perked up at that. Was this it?

"My good friend, General Ironwood, couldn't make it here today, and he also won't be able to attend the party at Argus. As I am sure you can all understand, he's quite the busy man. However, he sent me his well-wishes along with a gift to ensure the people's protection."

With a snap of his fingers, the floor to the side of Jacques Schnee opened up, and fog filled the stage. The spotlights came alive and aimed themselves at the figure rising from below.

It was not particularly tall, but that didn't mean it wasn't impressive. It was almost reminiscent of a knight clad in white, shining armor. Blue and gold ascents ran over its body. A helmet fully encased its head, and a black visor surrounded by gold took over most of its face.

Lisa really hoped her cameraman was capturing every second of this.

"Allow me to introduce you to the latest in Atlesian Military Technology. Ladies and gentlemen! I give you… IXA!"

xXx

Jaune was very nervous.

Standing on the stage with dozens of reporters and flashing lights all around him, he couldn't help but feel woefully inadequate. His fantasies of slaying dragons had somehow never included press conferences.

" _You're supposed to wave now, Friend Jaune."_

"Got it," he said, trusting Penny was listening to Jacques Schnee better than he was.

The man was still talking, supposedly about how good IXA was and asking him to make a few simple motions so the people watching could oh and ah at their leisure. Well, Jaune assumed that was what was going on. He wasn't quite sure because he was a bit too overwhelmed to pay attention. If Penny weren't giving him advice every so often, he'd be lost as to what to do.

" _Are you still nervous, Friend Jaune?"_ Penny asked. There was no need to worry about anyone overhearing her. IXA's outward speakers were shut down at the moment, which meant her voice was for his ears only. Anything they said wouldn't be heard by anyone else.

"Extremely," Jaune replied, making sure to keep his voice low even though he didn't need to.

" _I have read that imagining the audience naked helps in situations like this."_

Jaune's gaze momentarily strayed to a woman wearing a very low-cut dress. He blushed.

"I don't think that's going to help, Penny."

" _What about imagining them as potatoes? Please take three steps forward and salute."_

Jaune raised an eyebrow, even as he followed her instructions.

"Potatoes? Where did you even get that idea? No. You know what? Don't answer that. I don't want to know, and I don't think it'd be of much help. It'd just weird me out if the room was full of potatoes."

" _Have no fear, Friend Jaune! I still have a hundred and fifty-seven different suggestions we can try to lower your stress levels!"_

Jaune smiled at Penny's eager voice.

"I don't think we need to go that far, Penny."

" _I object, Friend Jaune. As your BFF, it is my duty to help you. Do a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn then march to the edge of the stage and back."_

"Just keep talking to me," Jaune said while marching. "It distracts me from the crowd."

" _... Very well, if that is what you wish for, Friend Jaune, I shall commence the small talk!"_

Jaune had to struggle not to chuckle at that.

Hopefully, they'd make it through this whole thing without him making a fool of himself.

xXx

"Are you seeing this?"

"I am."

"A new Atlesian droid. Fuck! Sienna didn't say anything about this. What do we do? Does this change things?"

"It does, and it doesn't."

"Adam?"

"We have already invested too many resources into this operation. While the new robot is not a variable we had foreseen, we cannot turn back now. We already knew we'd encounter opposition. We'll just have to adjust accordingly. Tell our operative we're proceeding as planned."

"You're the boss."

xXx

Hours after Jacques Schnee's press conference had ended, the _Argonaut_ was going through its final preparations before the big day. Food and other things were being loaded on the ship. The staff was already settling in. Soon, they would have to be ready to receive the passengers.

As the ship was buzzing with activity, one particular person wasn't doing much of anything.

His name was Ashton White,

He was an average-looking man with brown hair and brown eyes. Nothing about him stood out. Every so often, he'd take out his scroll, look at the time, and then go back to staring into the distance. Beads of sweat shined in his forehead, forcing him to wipe them with the back of his sleeve.

His name was Ashton White, but that hadn't been the name he was born with. He hadn't used his real name for years now. Ashton White was the only name he had that mattered.

His name was Ashton White, and though his papers said he was human, he hadn't been born as such.

Back when he had another name, he had been born a faunus. The exact type didn't matter. Not anymore.

He had been born in a small village a week away from Mantle. It had been a quiet place, and during the summer months, it had been beautiful. The sight of the melting snow under the sun was one that always remained in his memory. When the sun rose in the morning, it made all the ice that formed shine like jewels.

Unlike many faunus that lived in the areas surrounding Mantle, his parents hadn't been miners. They had been bakers. They made nice, warm bread which everyone liked. Every morning, Ashton would get up before the sun rose and help his parents prepare for the day. As a reward, he always got the first bite of freshly baked bread, which was the best bite of all.

Then the SDC had moved in.

It started slowly. Dust had been found, and the SDC had acquired the mining rights to the area. Soon miners began moving in, and the SDC build houses for them. Slowly but surely, their quiet little town grew. In the beginning, the villagers had welcomed the change. After all, the village growing could only be a good thing, right?

If only.

More people meant more clients, but it also meant more competition. The SDC didn't only bring in miners. It also started opening all sorts of shops all over town. It didn't happen overnight. The people would have protested if it had. The change was gradual. Like cooking a live frog by gradually bringing the water to a boil.

By the time the frog notices the water is boiling, it's too late.

The SDC spread like cancer throughout their village. The local shops couldn't compete with the SDC-owned stores. They were slowly ran out of business, and their owners had to resort to applying for SDC jobs.

In a few years, the SDC practically owned the entire village.

His parent's bakery didn't fare any differently.

However, his parents were faunus, which meant they couldn't just apply for any job. The SDC hired plenty of faunus, but that didn't mean its hiring practices weren't discriminatory. The jobs they had available for them were all very low paying. Not enough to sustain a family of three.

Mining jobs paid much more, but they were mining jobs.

It was a hard decision to make, but in the end, his family packed up everything they could and left. They sold the house to the SDC and tried to start a new life in the lower districts of Atlas.

It hadn't been easy. They had to rent a tiny apartment that was barely big enough for the three of them. Ashton's parents went from owning their own business to having to work as janitors and dishwashers. Their shifts were so long Ashton didn't see them some days. They were gone by the time he left for school and had yet to arrive by the time he fell asleep.

In time, his parents died. They hadn't been murdered because they were faunus or anything like that. Nothing quite so dramatic.

They just worked too much.

Long hours and not enough to eat did not make for a healthy lifestyle. His parents made sure Ashton was well-provided, but it was often at their expense. They never went to the hospital unless it was for something related to him. They never took sick days, too afraid of losing their jobs. That lifestyle had taken its toll on them until they couldn't bear it anymore.

It was nothing strange.

By then, Ashton had already finished high school. However, his job search was not going well. Not wanting to end like his parents, he had decided to take extreme measures. If he wanted to get a better job, then he was only going to find it as a human.

There were faunus who could pass for human and tried to live their lives as one. However, there were plenty of jobs that checked for that sort of thing. One look at their birth certificate and that was it for them.

Ashton wanted something more.

He wanted an identity.

While not as crime-heavy as Mistral, criminal activity did exist in Atlas. If you knew where to look for, you could buy and sell all sorts of things.

The real Ashton White had been born human. He had wanted adventure, and so, was willing to sell his identity to whoever had the lien to pay for it. It had taken all of the money his parents had left behind and a very dangerous loan, but he had done it. He paid the real Ashton for his identity. He had surgery done on him by an underground doctor to get his tail removed and his face altered enough to look like the real Ashton.

The real Ashton didn't have family or friends. He was an oddball who just wanted to use the money he had gained from selling his life to travel all over Remnant.

The new Ashton was willing to let that happen.

He seamlessly inserted himself into Ashton's old life. The former Ashton hadn't talked with his neighbors that much, so no one noticed the change.

With Ashton's papers, his world changed. He was able to apply for jobs as a human, and the difference showed. The new Ashton was able to obtain a cushy job and make a decent life for himself.

No one ever suspected he had been born a faunus.

However, he couldn't forget the SDC. He couldn't forget what happened to his parents.

Would things have turned out better for them if they had never left the village? Who knew? He didn't, and he found he didn't care.

The SDC took his home. That was the only truth that mattered to him.

His scroll rang.

In an instant, his whole body froze. Time slowed down for him, and it felt like his heart was about to leap from his chest. His scroll rang once. Then twice.

Ashton forgot how to breathe as he waited for the third ring.

It never came.

A minute passed, and Ashton released the breath he had been holding. Two rings. That meant the plan would proceed as planned. Had it been three, it'd have meant the plan was being canceled. He hadn't been sure if that would happen after Jacques Schnee had unveiled the new military android.

Seeing a robot move so much like a human was deeply unsettling.

"Hey, how long do you plan to stand there daydreaming?"

Ashton turned around and plastered a smile on his face. "Sorry, Finn. Nerves. You know how that is."

"Nerves? What for? This is hardly your first flight."

"Well, that's true," Ashton said, adjusting his pilot hat. "But we usually don't fly something quite so fancy."

His human partner who he had known for two years and whose bachelor's party he had attended laughed. "Well, you got that right. Wouldn't want Jacques Schnee angry at us."

"Perish the thought."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Ah, Lisa Lavender. Clearly everyone's favorite minor character.**

 **Also, an OC, because everyone loves those.**

 **Going to be honest here, I wanted to jump into things straight away, but I needed to do some set up first. As a consequence, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. I could have probably made it longer, but it'd just be padding at that point.**

 **Anyway, the pieces are all in place. It's time for the Argonaut to rise.**

 **Oh, and as a completely minor detail, Dr. Onyx is an Ibex faunus.**


	13. Count the Medals! Part III

**Let's go!**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

The _Argonaut_ was a Pelias-class cruise ship. The first of its kind.

It was over one thousand feet long and had seventeen decks. It could house two thousand passengers and over three hundred crew members. In addition to the human crew, there were four hundred domestic bots on board, most of them cleaning bots. Usually, it would be impossible for something so large and heavy to fly through the skies, but the ship's strong engines powered by Gravity Dust managed the task with ease.

The _Argonaut_ was also equipped with a Hard-Light Dust barrier that could be turned on at a moment's notice should Grimm be detected. While keeping the barrier up at all times would be safer, it would also be far costlier, astronomically so as Hard-Light Dust was notoriously hard to manufacture. In addition to its barrier, the ship had several weapons on board to protect the passengers from Grimm attacks.

That day, it was with many awed looks and excited cries that the people of Atlas bid goodbye to the _Argonaut_. The pure white ship looked majestic as it rose into the sky, white fluffy clouds all around it. The people waved, and the cameras rolled until the ship vanished into the horizon.

Inside, the passengers had already started settling in. Usually, the trip to Argus took no more than a few hours, but the ship was deliberately taking its time. It was scheduled to arrive just as the sun set, which was when the party would begin. In the meantime, the passengers were free to enjoy the many amenities offered by the ship.

Some passengers were already resting in their cabins. Some were taking their kids to the pool. More than a few were already enjoying a first-class meal in one of the many five-star restaurants onboard.

Jaune Arc was not doing any of those things.

The young Arc was deep inside the hull of the ship, far away from the passengers. He was sitting on a chair and leaning against the bulkhead, his face a sickly shade of green.

Along with the many famous people onboard, a small delegation from the military had been allowed into the ship and had been given an area near the cargo hold all to themselves. After all, keeping an android like IXA working required lots of technicians working around the clock.

At least, that was the excuse Ironwood had gone with.

IXA wasn't an android. IXA was an armor that was currently mechashifted into a stylish belt around Jaune's waist. There was no need for a team of mechanics to hover around it 24/7.

So, they had all gone to the upper decks to enjoy the sun, the pools, and the delicious food.

Jaune cursed them from the bottom of his heart.

The _Argonaut_ used Gravity Dust to fly and was moving at a deliberately slow pace. That meant the ship barely rocked. In fact, Jaune had been on car rides that were more hectic than this. There was no good reason for him to be motion sick.

Yet here he was. Fighting with all his heart to keep his breakfast inside his stomach.

Sometimes the universe just wants to have a laugh at us, his father had once told him when asked about their dreaded family condition.

Stupid universe.

Stupid motion sickness.

Groaning, Jaune barely managed to get up. The action caused him to sway on his feet for a couple of seconds. A burp escaped his mouth, and his hands quickly flew to cover it. Luckily, it stayed as just a burp. Jaune took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

He needed to get some air, and he needed to get it fast.

The faint hum of the engines and the lack of open space around him was not doing his motion sickness any favors. If he got to the main deck, well, it wouldn't cure him, but hopefully, the fresh air would help him last until they reached Argus. He'd get someone to buy some pills for him then.

To think he could fight Grimm yet the slight rocking of a ship still rendered him useless. Talk about embarrassing.

Jaune wondered what all those reporters from last night would say if they could see him right now. He snorted. Probably nothing good.

Using his hands to steady himself, Jaune slowly walked out of the room. He made his way up one ladder. Then another one. For the blond, it was a titanic effort. He'd take running through four feet of snow back at Fort Grey over this.

Really, why did people like ships so much? Whether by air or sea, it was always ships!

Trains, in Jaune's opinion, were infinitely better. They ran on tracks which meant they could never lose their way. You could stare at the scenery from the window or sleep in your cabin. They were also fairly fast, which was a bonus. Best of all, they didn't trigger his motion sickness.

Land transportation never did for some reason.

Regardless, the world would be a better place if there were rail tracks all over it.

Yeah. Jaune nodded to himself. That was what people should be putting their money into. Trains, not ships with way too much stuff crammed inside them for their own good. If something wanted to be a five-star restaurant, it should be one. If something wanted to be a pool, then it should just be a pool! Why mix the two!

Who could enjoy a five-star meal if the restaurant moved?

That was just crazy.

"Hey!"

Jaune blinked. Did someone talk to him just now?

Very slowly, Jaune turned around, mostly because moving in any way that was remotely coordinated was simply beyond him at the moment.

Jaune's breath got caught in his throat.

In front of him was, without a doubt, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Snowy white hair, crystal blue eyes, and beautiful pale skin without a single blemish. It was like a fairy tale princess had stepped right out of a book and decided to grace him with her presence.

She also reminded him of Winter.

A lot.

Jaune mentally pulled an image of Winter and placed it next to the girl before him. Same white hair. Same eyes. Same fair skin. The main difference between them was that while Winter was beautiful in a distant, highly intimidating way, the girl in front of him had a more fragile beauty that seemed to beckon him.

An entirely teenage part of his mind couldn't help but notice she was also not quite as… developed as Winter.

Wait! Her mouth was still moving.

"Are you even listening?!"

"... of course," Jaune lied. "You were saying that you want… to…"

Think, Brain. Think.

"Ask something?"

Nailed it!

The white-haired girl looked at him the way one would look at a particularly slow kid that just ran into a window.

"You are from the military, are you not?" The girl asked, looking at him dubiously.

"Of course, I am," Jaune said, patting the insignia on his chest. For this occasion, Jaune was wearing grey coveralls with the logo of Atlas on the front, denoting his status as a mechanic working for the military. "Warrant Officer Arc. Special Dispatch Unit."

That part wasn't actually a lie. General Ironwood had informed him that, due to his involvement in the IXA project, he technically counted as a non-commissioned officer of the Atlas military. Ironwood had even implied that if Jaune wanted to, he could start taking officer courses. That way, he'd be ready to receive a commission by the time he got his Huntsman license.

Of course, the white-haired girl knew none of this. She looked at him with clear doubt in her face.

"Are you really?" The white-haired girl leaned in, narrowing her eyes. "You look too young to be in the army."

Being in such close proximity to a pretty girl didn't fail to make him blush, but the combination of motion sickness and the comment about his age countered it somewhat.

"Young?" Jaune echoed, his eye twitching. "I am probably older than you."

Jaune drew himself to his full height as he spoke, trying to appear taller than he actually was. Unfortunately, his full height was not all that impressive, a fact he had always been sensitive about. With one exception, his sisters had always been taller than him.

All other kids had been taller than him.

This girl was not.

It was with no small amount of glee that Jaune noticed he was a little over an inch taller than the white-haired girl, and she was wearing heels to boot!

"I am sixteen," she said.

"S-So am I," Jaune lied. His birthday was still a few months away.

"And they let sixteen-year-olds join the army?" She prodded, hands on her hips.

"They do if they get in through an internship," Jaune said, panicking only for a second before reciting the cover story Winter had drilled into his head. "Different rules apply for the Special Dispatch Unit."

That part was true.

"Besides, it's not like I see combat. I'm just another mechanic."

That part was a lie.

"I see," the girl said, not looking convinced. "Well then, if you're part of the military, then what are you waiting for?"

Jaune blinked. "What?"

The girl looked impatiently at him. "You cannot possibly tell me you don't know who I am."

Jaune stared blankly at her.

"Are you serious?" She asked, glaring at him. "How can you not know who I am?!"

"Sorry, am I supposed to know you?" Jaune scratched the back of his head even as another wave of nausea hit him. "Look, I'm a little busy right now, but if you want a peek at IXA, then I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to do that."

"That's not what I-"

"Or if you're just scared and want someone to guard you, then I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about. This ship has a lot of defenses."

The girl loudly stomped her foot and pointed a finger at him. "How dare you even imply I'd be scared of a simple trip. Who do you think I am? I am-"

"Over here! I think she went this way."

"I'm right behind you."

"Drat!" The girl's face went from angry to annoyed as two voices came from above. She looked to the ladder leading to the next deck then to Jaune and back again.

"Quick. Follow me!"

"What?"

Jaune barely had time to protest as the girl grabbed him by the wrist and, with far more force than he expected, dragged him away.

xXx

The cockpit of the _Argonaut_ was quite spacious. It had two large comfortable seats with many panels, buttons, and screens in front of them. If either the pilot or co-pilot wanted it, they could stand and walk around the cockpit to stretch their legs. There was also a minibar loaded with snacks in the corner.

Now, it should be noted that a complicated piece of equipment like the _Argonaut_ was not something that could usually be piloted by merely two people. The ship had way too many systems for two people to keep track of, flight control being merely one of them.

Indeed, the ship wasn't controlled by just two people.

The ship's onboard computer automatically calibrated most of the ship's other systems, decreasing the pilots' burdens by an order of magnitude. That way, the pilots only needed to focus on getting the ship to its destination. Should the computer fail, a secondary control room crewed by a competent staff would enter into action to help them.

Of course, that was all very unlikely to happen.

All it meant at the moment was that the pilots had very little to do.

"What's our schedule?" asked one of them. He was a dashing man with black hair, green eyes, and high cheekbones.

"You already know," replied the other, an average-looking man with brown hair and eyes. "We keep course until we reach Argus. In about half an hour, we'll start descending for a water landing. We'll stay on the sea for a few hours then go up."

"Do we need to do that? It's not like it makes a difference to the passengers whether the ship is flying over the sea or sailing on it."

His partner rolled his eyes. "It's not about that, Finn. It's about the novelty of it."

While there were certain safety benefits to a ship that had no problems landing on the ocean should the need arise, the truth was the function had been added mostly for the novelty of it. In fact, some people had criticized the _Argonaut_ for it. By deliberately putting itself on the sea, the ship left itself open to attack from aquatic species of Grimm in addition to flying ones.

Of course, those criticisms had been countered by pointing out the many defenses installed on the ship.

"We'll open the upper deck once we reach warmer temperatures, the passengers will sunbathe or whatever," he continued. "All as scheduled."

"And here you were all worried about having to pilot this thing," Finn teased.

"Well, forgive me for being nervous about flying the multi-million lien ship owned by the richest man in Remnant."

"Can't argue with that," Finn said, leaning back into his comfortable seat. A moment of silence settled over the cockpit. "The weather sure is nice today, huh?"

"Warm to temperate climate. No clouds. Just as predicted."

"..."

"..."

"Okay," Finn said, slapping his hands together after ten minutes had passed. "I'm going to say it. This is boring. Argus is a four-hour trip under trying circumstances. We're deliberately trying to make it there by evening. With the computer handling most of the job, we could literally get there sleep-walking. Whose bright idea was this?"

"Jacques Schnee."

Finn clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"If you're so bored you can go grab me something to eat. It's not like both of us need to be here. Like you said, this is a simple trip. We won't have much to do until we leave Argus."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Grab you something to eat? From where? The minibar over there?"

"From the restaurant," his partner replied. "I'd really like an omelet right now."

"Seriously?"

"What?" his partner fired back defensively. "I was so nervous this morning I didn't eat a thing. I need my breakfast."

"And the reason I should go instead of you is?" Even as Finn asked that question, he was already getting up.

"Well, you're the one who's bored. Figured you'd appreciate the chance to stretch your legs," replied the co-pilot. "Also, I introduced you to your wife."

"Is that how you want to call it? We were at a bar, and you said, and I'm quoting you here, 'Check out those knockers!'"

"It counts if you married those knockers! Plus, I had to flirt with her fat friend all night. You have no idea how bad that got."

"That's the godmother of my kid you're talking about! She's a great person."

"And a lousy date. Seriously, you owe me."

"You know," Finn said, shaking his head. "One day, that whole 'I introduced you to your wife' thing is going to stop working."

"Probably," his friend admitted. "But not today."

"Not today," agreed Finn. "Mushrooms, bacon, and spinach, right?

"You know it."

"I'll be back in a while," Finn said, opening the door. "I might walk around a bit."

"Take as much time as you need," the pilot said as he waved at his friend without turning back. "Take as much time as you need."

The door closed behind Finn.

Ashton White released the longest sigh of his life. He almost seemed to sink into his seat. It was as if he was a balloon slowly and pitifully deflating. He rubbed a hand over his forehead to wipe the sweat he had been certain Finn would have noticed.

But he hadn't.

He hadn't noticed anything strange at all.

Even though he had known Finn for years, his friend hadn't noticed anything unusual about him. Was he a much better liar than he thought he was or had Finn been that bored? The faunus passing for a human didn't know, and to be honest, that didn't matter right now. There was only one thing Ashton cared about.

He had gotten Finn out of the cockpit.

Ashton looked at the clock and sighed in relief yet again. It was fine. It was still time. He still had time. Everything was still proceeding as scheduled. He had been counting on Finn wanting to leave the cockpit out of boredom, but for a moment there, he had started to doubt that would happen.

If Finn hadn't left on his own accord, Ashton would have had to…

No. It didn't matter. No anymore.

Finn had left. The plan could proceed.

Ashton unfastened his seat belt and knelt down. He quickly opened one of the panels, exposing a multitude of colorful wires. With a determined look on his face, Ashton took a set of pliers from his pocket.

It was okay, he told himself.

He could do this. Just like he practiced.

Most of the _Argonaut's_ systems were centered on the cockpit, and the ship's radar was no exception. Ashton just needed to turn off the alert system. That way no one would notice the White Fang's ship approaching. No one would be able to activate the ship's defenses in time, allowing the White Fang to board the _Argonaut_ with ease. With the element of surprise on their side, the White Fang would quickly assume control of the ship.

This was fine, Ashton told himself.

It was fine.

There was no one worth anything in this ship anyway. They were all privileged rich assholes. That was it. There was nothing more to these people.

It was fine if they got hurt.

"Hey! I almost forgot! I wanted to ask if you… wanted…to..."

Ashton turned back in horror. Finn's confused face stared back at him. He had been so focused on his task, he hadn't even heard Finn opening the door.

"Ashton… what are you doing?"

Ashton lunged.

xXx

Communication was a constant problem in Remnant.

The CCT was the only reliable way to communicate over long distances. Through the four main towers and the extensive network of support towers, it was possible to broadcast a signal all the way to even the most remote villages.

However, that was only the case when broadcasting from the main towers.

Sending a signal from the middle of nowhere all the way to civilization was a completely different matter. Those who lived away from the main towers were at the mercy of whatever support towers happened to be nearby.

Beyond that, people were forced to rely on scroll-to-scroll connections, which were notoriously weak when not near a tower to boost their signal. Even the latest models could not connect to each other once they were more than a thousand feet away.

This not-so-little detail made long-distance travel a very complicated affair. It meant that once a ship or train was far away enough from civilization, it would be able to receive messages, but it wouldn't be able to send them.

In other words, there was no way for Ashton to communicate with the White Fang ship hidden in the clouds about twenty miles away from the _Argonaut_. If they got too close and the radar wasn't disabled, the ship would engage its defenses. In the worst case scenario, they'd be shot down.

Adam Taurus sat in the cargo hold, his sheathed blade at his side. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. The parts of his face not hidden by his mask were blank, utterly devoid of anything but intense concentration.

Around him were his subordinates. They were performing last minute checks on their weapons, but really, they were just nervous. Adam couldn't blame them. The attack on the _Argonaut_ would be the most public in the White Fang's history. They had devoted a lot of resources towards making this work.

Now, their success was at the mercy of a single man.

Adam subtly looked at his watch. Things were still within the allotted time frame. Thirty minutes. They had thirty minutes until their time ran out. Thirty minutes until the plan failed.

"Sir," a particularly brave grunt asked, "do we-"

"We wait."

"B-but-"

"We. Wait."

And that was that. No one else dared to voice their doubts. However, as much cold resolution as Adam tried to project, even he felt doubt brewing inside him.

Timing was crucial for this plan. They needed to attack right when the _Argonaut_ was between Atlas and Argus. If they attacked too soon, the army would be mobilized right away. If they waited too long, the ship would be too close to Argus and the Atlas military base there. For this to work, they needed to attack right when the ship was unable to communicate with both cities.

Timing and location. In the end, a good hunt was always about those things.

"Sir!" cried out a White Fang grunt as he burst into the cargo area. "It's him. Yuma's back."

Adam stood up.

"What are you waiting for? Open the gates. Everyone, grab hold of something!"

At once, the hold became full of motion as everyone grabbed what was nearest to them. The gate opened, and wind rushed in, causing everyone to hold on tighter

A bat faunus flew in.

He was tall with brown, spiky hair and pale eyes. He had an unkempt goatee and was wearing a black bodysuit which protected him from the cold. His faunus traits were the two large bat wings that grew from his back, a rarity among their kind. Even among bird-type faunus, flight was almost unheard of.

For Yuma, it was as easy as walking.

If the White Fang had tried to get close to the _Argonaut_ while the radar was still on, they'd have doubtlessly been detected right away. However, if the person getting close to the ship was Yuma, that was a different story. At worst, he'd be mistaken for a lone Grimm.

Yuma could fly close enough to the ship to receive a message.

"So?" Adam asked once the gates closed, aware of the anticipation building up inside the ship. "Do you have the answer?"

"Aye, boss," Yuma replied. He held up his scroll.

"Radar's down."

Adam's lips curled up.

It was time.

xXx

Two teenagers entered a supply closet in a hurry. The girl threw the boy against the wall and quickly closed the door behind her. It sounded like the beginning of a scene that wouldn't be out of place in a romance novel, but the circumstances couldn't be more different.

"That should do it," the girl said, not looking the least bit winded after all that running in high heels. "They'll never think to look for me here. Now you can just… are you alright?"

Unlike the girl, Jaune had placed his arm over a couple of boxes to steady himself. His chest heaved dangerously as he tried to get his nausea under control.

"What?" Jaune asked, looking at the girl while covering his mouth. "Oh. Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Just dandy. It's just… flying doesn't really agree with me."

Neither did sailing, for the matter.

"I'm okay now," Jaune said, taking one last deep breath and straightening himself. "I'm okay."

Deep breaths. Deep breaths kept his breakfast down and his pride intact.

"Sooo… why did we run away from those guys?"

"Because I did not feel like having bodyguards watching my every move today," the girl said, dismissively. "The very thought of me needing a bodyguard is ridiculous."

Jaune blinked a couple of times at that.

"Bodyguards? Why would you-No, wait. I almost forgot everyone in this ship is super rich."

The girl stared at him.

"You really have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Should I?"

"Of course you should, you dolt!" she said, closing the distance between them with angry stomps. Having such a pretty girl get so close to him was enough to make him blush, and her angry glare did nothing to change this. "Can you not see my hair? My face? Do you live underground? My picture is all over the CCTnet. The tickets for all my concerts this year are already sold out!"

Jaune wisely stayed quiet. If he started speaking now, he didn't trust himself not to mention that her breath smelled like mint.

It occurred to him that he really needed to ask his dad for dating advice one of these days.

"Weiss Schnee," the girl, Weiss, said at last when it was clear Jaune was no closer to realizing who she was. "I am Weiss Schnee."

"Schnee?" This time, realization did flash in Jaune's eyes. "Oh, like Winter"

"Yes, like Winter Schnee. My sister," Weiss said, her eye twitching. "And Schnee as in the Schnee Dust Company. The company who built and owns this ship!"

"Ah," Jaune said, feeling somewhat foolish. He scratched the back of his head, sheepishly. "In my defense, I really don't have much free time."

"Clearly." Weiss placed her hands on her hips, one of her feet tapping impatiently as she stared at him. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to take me to my sister?!"

"Wait, so that's what you wanted all this time?"

"Of course it was, you buffoon! What else could I possibly have wanted from someone like you!"

Sheesh, talk about rude. Pretty, but rude.

"Yeah, well, I don't think that's going to be possible," Jaune said, grimacing in preparation for Weiss' outburst.

"Excuse me!" Yep, there it was. "Who do you think you are? I am Weiss Schnee! The only reason you people are even here right now is that the SDC agreed to give your toy some publicity. You should be scrambling to follow my orders as compensation!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way," Jaune said, raising a finger. "Also, even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to take you to Winter. She's not on the ship."

 _"What?"_

Jaune winced at her volume. With lungs like that, it was no wonder she could sing.

"What do you mean she's not here?"

"It's like I just said," Jaune said, rubbing his ears. "Specialist Schne is not here. She's not in the ship."

"B-But she told she'd be here." Weiss took a step back in shock. "You're in her unit, are you not?"

Weiss' crestfallen expression actually made Jaune feel bad for her. It was like the wind had been completely taken out of her sails.

"I am," Jaune said. "And if it helps, she was supposed to be here with us, but something else came up."

It had been weird. Originally, Winter was scheduled to be in the ship as well, something she hadn't been happy about. According to her, these parties were an absolute bore.

However, a day before the ship's launch, Ironwood had called her to his office. Jaune wasn't sure what happened there. All he knew was that there was an emergency that required Winter's skills. She had left right away after that.

"Something else came up?" Weiss echoed as her gaze dipped to the floor. She seemed smaller now, less confident. It was hard to believe this was the same girl that had been yelling at him before. "And she didn't even tell me. I see. I thought we could… No, nevermind. It was foolish. Winter is always busy. What was I thinking?"

"I'm sure she meant to let you know," Jaune blurted out. "It was just all very last minute."

Weiss may have been mean and rude, but it wasn't right for someone to look so lonely.

"You must be right." Weiss smiled a fake smile. "If you will excuse me, I believe I have imposed on you enough. I'll retire to my cabin."

Weiss moved to leave. Jaune raised his hand, wanting to stop her but not knowing what to say.

At that moment, the entire ship shook. The room moved left and right, sending both Jaune and Weiss tumbling down. Training kicked in, and Jaune managed to grab Weiss while pulling them both to the side. Jaune's back hit the wall with force, but it stopped them from falling.

"What was that?" Weiss asked.

"An explosion," Jaune said, frowning. "Something's gone wrong."

Something had indeed gone wrong, and for Jaune and IXA, this would be a turning point.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **It's funny when you think about it. Jaune's motion sickness only appears once in the entire show, but it rarely fails to show up in fanfics. It's kind of like Yang and puns.**

 **Anyway, communication. The way I see it, there are three main types of connections in Remnant. Device-to-Device (usually Scrolls), Tower-to-Tower, and Device-to-Tower (or the other way around). Without Towers nearby, it's possible for Scrolls to connect to each other (as seen in the Vol 4 trailer and Vol 6), but the range is not ideal. Also, it's easier for a Tower to reach a Scroll than for a Scroll to reach a Tower, which can create problems (at least, that's the way it works here. Feel free to lambast me for it).**

 **Also, Weiss appears! About a year and a half younger than her canon self. She has a bit of an attitude problem, and she was really looking forward to spending some time with her sister.**

 **It's a bit sad when you think about it. Winter is about 5 or so years older than Weiss. That means she basically left for boarding school when Weiss was about 12 and then she joined the army.**

 **Loneliest of all indeed.**

 **Anyway, till next chapter!**


	14. Count the Medals! Part IV

**The story has hit 200 reviews. I want to take a moment to thank you all!**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

The upper decks of the _Argonaut_ were covered by a thick glass dome which could be folded back when it was required. Making such a large glass structure move may seem like an impossible endeavor to some, but it was nothing mechashift technology couldn't handle. It was expensive, but so was everything else on the ship.

That way, whenever the ship was sailing on the sea, the glass could be folded back so the passengers could enjoy the sun at their leisure.

Just like Red and Blue were doing.

"This is great."

"You can say that again."

"This is great."

The two soldiers were relaxing on a couple of lounge chairs by the pool. Their uniforms had been discarded in favor of simple swimming trunks and sunglasses. It was a shame Jaune Arc wasn't present. He'd have finally been able to see their faces.

"You know," Red said, taking a sip from his drink, a doubtlessly expensive pink thing he didn't know the name of. "I really wish we had missions like this more often."

As Red spoke, he raised his glass toward a group of women in swimsuits who definitely liked what they saw. He and Blue may not be huntsmen, but a soldier's lifestyle had given them both well-defined muscles which women tended to appreciate.

Red grinned as the women giggled in reply.

Yep, life was good.

"I bet Specialist Schnee regrets not being here," Red went on, enjoying the sun and the breeze. "It's like a paid vacation."

"Uh-huh."

Red clicked his tongue as he turned to his partner whose eyes were already closed. "Hey, come on. Don't leave me speaking all alone."

"Like you said, it's a paid vacation, and I'm using it," Blue replied, his eyes still closed under the sunglasses. "Wake me up when we reach Argus."

"Seriously?" Red asked, his sunglasses slipping to the tip of his nose. "Don't tell me you're one of those people who only go to the beach to sleep?"

"Wouldn't know. Never gone to the beach before. It does sound awfully tempting."

"Come on, we're in the equivalent of a five-star hotel. Hell, this probably counts as a six-star hotel or something! You know that, right?"

"Yep."

"Everything here is free for us. The military is footing the bill. We can eat and drink whatever we want! I read an article about one of the chefs that works here. Did you know people usually have to wait a year to eat at one of his restaurants?"

"People are dumb."

"There are rich, hot women eyeing us. As. We. Speak!"

"Unsurprising."

"You're really just going to sleep here?"

"Sounds about right, yeah."

Red gave his partner a long look before sighing in defeat. "You're the worst wingman ever."

Over in Mistral, a blue-haired young man sneezed.

"Fine!" Red huffed and crossed his arms. "Be that way! I'll enjoy all the cool stuff in this ship by myself!"

Sure, Red could go pick up Jaune, but that didn't seem like a wise move. The last thing anyone in the ship needed was for Jaune to puke in the pool. That'd just be nasty. It was best to wait until he got used to being on a ship.

It had to happen eventually, right?

"Don't come crying to me when I become the boy toy of a hot, rich widow," Red said, rising from his seat.

That was when the explosion rocked the ship.

In an instant, all the playfulness vanished from Red's countenance. While others tripped and fell as the ship swayed, he remained steady on his feet, his gaze alert and his standard-issue Atlas handgun suddenly in his hands.

"Grimm attack?"

"Negative," Blue said. The man had already risen from his lounge chair and now stood back-to-back with him. There was not a trace of drowsiness to be found in him. "The ship's radar would have picked up Grimm approaching."

"Maybe the radar's not working?"

"The brand new radar?" Blue scoffed. "Jacques Schnee may have a reputation for lien-pinching, but he's not incompetent."

Red frowned. "Then where did the explosion come from?"

A malfunction of the ship's engine? On a ship this new, it was hard to believe. However, the alternative was worse.

A bomb.

As the two were coming to similar conclusions, screams rang through the deck. The initial shock from the explosion had faded, and panic was starting to set in among the passengers.

"Shit," Red said. "They'll attract Grimm if they're like this."

As he spoke, the security personal quickly appeared on deck. Along with the staff, they tried to get the passengers to remain calm, assuring them everything was fine and that the shield would be going up shortly.

"It could be worse," Blue pointed out. "The ship is rising already."

It was true. The _Argonaut_ was gradually rising from the water and back into the skies. Had they remained in the water, the screaming passengers would have attracted aquatic species of Grimm for sure. Had they gotten close enough to the ship before the shield could be raised, it could have been troublesome.

Now, they just needed to wait for the glass dome to close and for the shield to go up. That would protect the ship from any Grimm attracted by the passengers. Then they could start dealing with whatever caused the explosion.

Red frowned.

"The shield's not going up."

"What?"

Even as Blue asked the question, he realized Red was right. The Hard-Light Dust barrier, which was supposed to protect the ship from all manner of attacks, was still not activated. That wasn't the only problem. The glass dome also remained open, exposing the passengers to the cold of higher altitudes.

Red growled. A passing-by waiter yelped as Red suddenly grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Sir, what's-"

"Why isn't the shield going up?" Red asked, his tone all business.

"I-I don't know, sir," the waiter said. "The shield is supposed to go up within thirty seconds of any emergency at the latest. It should already be up by now."

But it wasn't. Red and Blue shared a worried look.

"What's the backup plan?" Red asked.

"T-The backup plan?"

"You don't need to repeat what I just said," Red hissed. "Yes. The backup plan. That thing you use when the first plan doesn't work. What's the protocol? And don't you dare tell me there isn't one."

There was no way a ship of this size didn't have dozens of security protocols. Jacques Schnee wouldn't be so careless with the ship he and his rich friends were supposed to travel in.

"The ballroom!" The waiter cried out. "In case of emergency, we're supposed to take the passengers to the ballroom."

The ballroom. Red considered it for a second. They'd be a bit cramped there, but it was better than the alternative.

"You go do that," Blue said, removing the waiter from Red's grip. Even as he spoke, SDC security personnel were already guiding people to the lower decks. "But hurry. We don't have much time until-"

A screech cut through the air.

"Fuck!"

It didn't matter who said it. The sentiment was shared by all. Black shapes had appeared on the horizon.

Grimm.

People sometimes wondered how it was that Grimm always seemed to appear out of nowhere when there was an accident. There were countless accounts of one unlucky accident leading to dozens of Grimm suddenly showing up without warning. The truth was Grimm didn't show up out of nowhere.

They were always watching.

The creatures of Grimm were always out there. Waiting. Every vehicle that traveled outside the kingdoms inevitably drew the attention of Grimm. From that moment on, it was a coin flip. Would the Grimm attack or would they exercise caution?

Instinct vs. Intelligence. It always came down to that.

Contrary to the propaganda pushed by the Kingdoms, Grimm were not stupid. They knew large groups of humans were likely to have some form of defense against them, so they bided their time. As long as the people kept being happy, the Grimm will most likely not attack them, interpreting their joy as confidence in their safety.

However, once the fear started, that was it. The Grimm were like sharks drawn to blood in the water. Fear meant hesitation. Fear meant weakness.

Fear meant the humans were vulnerable.

At that moment, the Grimm stopped watching from afar and swooped in for the kill.

"Inside, now!" Shouted a member of SDC Security as the passengers lost all semblance of calm in the face of the incoming horde of monsters. Some of them tripped and were stepped on almost immediately. To their credit, SDC Security did their best to bring order to the panic.

Blue and Red did not move to go into the ship. They placed themselves between the incoming Grimm and the evacuating passengers.

As this was happening, a difference between the passengers became clear. Some of them had not been content to rely on SDC Security, and so, had brought bodyguards with them. Some of those bodyguards were huntsmen. Right now, their presence was a welcome boon. Indeed, many of the passengers were ordering their bodyguards to help SDC Security take care of the Grimm.

Many, but not all.

"Who do you think is paying you?" shouted a dark-skinned, blonde woman at a very irate-looking huntsman with short spiky brown hair. "You're supposed to protect me. Stay by my side at all times."

Blue gave him a sympathetic glance as the woman led him away. Sure, he could easily fight her off, but that'd just cause more trouble than it was worth. Besides, it wasn't exactly a bad thing to have at least one huntsman going down to guard the passengers, but well…

No one liked to be the guy stuck waiting while the rest fought.

"What the hell is taking this thing so long?" shouted another huntsman as he kept tapping his scroll. He turned to a member of SDC Security. "What's the big idea? I thought your robots were supposed to bring my weapon to me in case of an emergency?"

Blue frowned. Yet another malfunction. This didn't bode well.

The huntsman didn't bother waiting for an answer. He broke a nearby chair and held one of its legs as a cub. With his Aura-reinforcing it, it would be all the weapon he needed.

"I see a Giant Nevermore," Red said as the dark shapes became more distinct. He was right. A Giant Nevermore was flying towards them with a multitude of smaller ones all around it.

"We'll have to deal with that one first," Blue commented, sounding far calmer than he felt. All he had was his gun, which wasn't meant to be used against Grimm that big. He doubted the SDC would fare better. Their best hope was to let the few huntsmen among them deal with that one.

"Yep." Red frowned. Behind him, someone muttered a curse. "Aw, crap. Griffons."

Griffons. Smaller and weaker than a Giant Nevermore. However, they were dangerous in different ways. What they lacked in raw power, Griffons more than made up in intelligence. They were ferocious hunters who employed pack tactics to wear down their prey.

No one still on the deck was looking forward to fighting them.

"Alright then," Blue said. "Anyone want to run?"

No one moved. Not the men hired by Jacques Schnee. Not the bodyguards who had probably thought this would be an easy job.

"No one? Good."

The Giant Nevermore screeched once more as a single beat of its wings sent feathers larger than cars and tougher than steel down on them like arrows.

The fight was on.

xXx

Jacques Schnee was not having a good day.

It had started out decently enough as most days tended to. The launch of the _Argonaut_ had gone without a hitch. With the amount of money he put into it, it was only to be expected. Still, it was always pleasing when things went according to plan. All that was left was to wait until the ship reached Argus where the party would be held.

Willow had chosen to stay home and so had Whitley. Weiss was in the ship, but she had her own cabin, and the bodyguards he had assigned to her would see to her safety, not that anyone would dare harm her in _his_ ship.

That meant that, for the first time in over a year, Jacques Schnee had absolutely nothing to do but relax.

While everyone else had been swimming or playing, Jacques Schnee had been in his luxurious cabin drinking from a finely aged bottle of wine and watching his favorite movie. He had even traded his expensive suit for a terry cloth robe.

Then the explosion happened.

At once, his security team had entered his room to pull him out. Seeing to his safety was precisely what he paid them for, and Jacques appreciated their quick reaction time.

Still, couldn't they at least have given him time to change?

As his bodyguards took him upstairs, Jacques' mind started going over the situation. There had been enough attempts on his life for him to recognize an explosion when he felt one. However, where had it come from? Could it have been due to a malfunction?

The possibility was considered and discarded in less than a second.

He'd had his engineers check, double-check, triple-check, and even quadruple check every inch of the _Argonaut_ to make sure it was ready for the trip. There was no way anything could have failed. What else could be the reason?

Was Ironwood's toy not as safe as he had been led to believe?

No. That was equally impossible. Ironwood would have never allowed his robot aboard if there was even the slightest chance it could malfunction.

As Jacques' brain kept coming up with and discarding possibilities, his eyes noticed something.

"Where are we going?" His security team was not taking the route to the upper decks. In fact, he was pretty sure they were taking him to the ballroom.

"There's been a change of plans, sir," one of his guards replied. "The shield won't activate, so we're taking everyone to the ballroom."

The Hard-Light Dust Barrier was not working?

"Preposterous!"

The guard shrugged haplessly.

"I only know what they tell me, boss."

It didn't make any sense. Out of all parts of the ship, the barrier should be the last one to malfunction, and if it did, there was a maintenance crew stationed in the ship that could go and fix it. Without it, the ship was far more vulnerable to attacks from Grimm.

Was that explosion a Grimm attack then?

No. Jacques frowned. That didn't sound right. If anything this whole thing felt more like…

"And the guest of honor arrives. Put your hands in the air. Now."

Sabotage.

As his men opened the door to the ballroom, they were greeted by raised weapons. The intruders' white vests and Grimm-like masks were unmistakable.

The White Fang.

In his ship.

Jacques' hands tightened into fists. Someone was going to pay dearly for this.

The staredown between his men and the White Fang lasted for less than four seconds, but it felt like much longer. In the end, it was his men who gave up. The White Fang already had their guns out, and they had numerical superiority.

"Smart," the man in charge said. He was a redheaded bull-faunus. It took Jacques a while to put a name to the face.

Adam Taurus.

As he recalled, Adam Taurus was a White Fang operative who had mostly been active in Mistral. His face had appeared on the papers a few times.

It seemed like he was moving up in the organization.

"Take their weapons," Taurus ordered. "Put them with the rest."

Two of the White Fang grunts quickly moved to follow his orders, taking his guards' weapons before leading them inside at gunpoint. Jacques' lips thinned when he saw the state of the ballroom. The place was packed, full of passengers and crew. In addition to that, there were dozens of armed White Fang members. The presence of that many guns ensured everyone knew better than to try something stupid.

"Why aren't you doing anything? What do you think I pay you for?"

"Pumpkin, please. Calm down."

Well, almost everyone.

Under less severe circumstances, Jacques would have rolled his eyes. Yet again, Peter Pumpkin's latest wife was making a scene. The woman was physically attractive. Jacques was willing to admit that much, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand what had possessed Peter to marry someone like that. High-maintenance did not begin to describe her.

"Don't tell me to calm down," she screeched. "We hired a huntsman. He should be able to handle this rabble."

She pointed to the huntsman in question, who sighed deeply.

She wasn't entirely wrong. Even one huntsman could probably handle most of the White Fang members present. If it was just a matter of winning, then the bodyguards they had hired were more than capable of fulfilling the task.

Just not without people dying.

One bullet. That was all it would take.

In a room full of so many people, it was impossible for a gunfight to start without people dying. That was why even though there were some huntsmen present in the room, they hadn't dared to fight back. If they did, the White Fang would start shooting. The ensuing death toll would be significant, and the death of some of the people here would cause shockwaves throughout Remnant.

If a fight started inside this room, it'd be a catastrophe. The huntsman clearly understood that.

"Pumpkin!"

"Don't you, 'Pumpkin,' me!"

Peter's wife clearly didn't.

"I'll not let these ani-ack!"

The woman's rant was brought to an abrupt end, not by the hands of the White Fang, but rather by her own bodyguard. A quick blow to the back of the head rendered her unconscious. The huntsman, a man with short, spiky brown hair, offered Peter an apologetic nod as he caught his wife before she fell to the floor. However, Peter looked more shocked than angry.

In fact, no one looked particularly angry at the huntsman.

Even the White Fang looked a bit grateful.

Jacques made a mental note to get the huntsman's name from Peter once this business was over. The man had made a good call just now. If the woman had continued, she'd have drawn the ire of the White Fang. One could not expect these terrorists to have any measure of restraint.

Quick thinking like that was something he could use in his service.

"The rich and powerful of Atlas now cower like rats," Adam drawled. "How fitting."

He strode into the room as he spoke. His sword holstered at his side. He didn't shout, yet his voice easily carried across the room. Glares were all he received for his insolence. None dared to sling insults at him when the odds were so heavily in his favor.

Jacques stepped up.

"What is it that you want from us?"

He may just be wearing a terry cloth robe and fuzzy slippers, but he was still Jacques Schnee. He had turned a successful Dust company into an empire. He had endured betrayals and overcome every obstacle in his way.

He was not about to cower in the face of some masked whelp!

"Should that not be obvious, human?" Taurus asked. "Each one of you is a valuable hostage. Your families, your companies, your kingdoms. How much will they be willing to pay for you?"

And with that money, the White Fang would be able to scale up their operations. Furthermore, the publicity generated by this stunt would boost the morale of their forces while the SDC would look like fools for letting it happen.

"Do you really think you can get away with this?" Jacques fired back. "As we speak, this ship is heading for Argus. There's a military base there. There are huntsmen on this very ship that are surely plotting to rescue us. Surely, you can see how ill-thought this operation is, child."

Half-bluff and half-provocation.

How would Adam Taurus react?

"You think you're pretty brave, huh, human?" It was not Taurus who rose to his provocation, but rather one of the nameless grunts. "You're not in charge here. We are. Maybe it's time you see how it's like for the faunus working in your mines."

The faunus raised his hand to grab him, but a single hand snatched his wrist before he could.

"Adam, why?!"

"Patience," Taurus said, his grip on the faunus' wrist firm. "We need him alive."

"B-but he-"

"You will not lecture me on the evils of Jacques Schnee," Adam Taurus said. "I trust I do not need to explain why."

The faunus paled and quickly shook his head.

"Good," Adam said, letting the faunus go. He turned to Jacques. "Your precious huntsmen are currently too busy dealing with the Grimm outside. I had my men turn on the Hard-Light Dust barrier, but quite a few Grimm were already inside its range by then. I think that by the time the huntsmen finish killing them, they'll be too tired to do anything worthwhile. As for the military, they won't be able to get close to the ship with the shield up."

"That won't last forever."

"It won't," Adam agreed, not looking particularly bothered. "However, it'll last long enough, and if the military somehow manages to get past the barrier..."

Adam patted his blade.

"You don't want that to happen, human. With this many hostages, it's fine if a few of you die to make a point. Considering your crimes, the world may even thank me for it."

xXx

"Up ahead!"

"I see them!"

Streaks of white and grey flashed across the hallways of the _Argonaut_ as Weiss Schnee and Jaune Arc fell upon a pair of White Fang grunts looking for passengers. The two faunus did not even last a second under their combined assault. Even though they did not have weapons, they were still far more than ordinary terrorists could handle.

"This doesn't make any sense," Weiss said as she stared at the downed bodies of the faunus. "How did the White Fang even get here?"

After the initial shockwave, the two had started making their way to the upper decks, something that took a little longer than it should have due to an argument about where exactly they were on the ship.

That was when they had run into the White Fang.

It had been just one pair. They had probably been looking for passengers in the lower decks.

Weiss hadn't given them a chance.

The girl's face had gone from surprised to livid in under a second. She had attacked with a ferocity that surprised Jaune. In a few seconds, the terrorists were down for the count and encased in ice. Apparently, Weiss always kept a few vials on her person.

That had been how their encounter with the first pair had gone. This was the second one.

"Maybe we should have tried keeping them conscious this time?" Jaune asked while slapping one of the men's faces. He didn't even stir. Jaune grimaced.

Fighting humans was hard.

Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. "Conscious? For what? So the animals can shout death threats at us? Or perhaps so they can swallow a cyanide tablet while praising their crazy cult? You cannot talk to these people. Take it from someone whose family has been at war with them for years." Her face softened. "I must say though, you performed adequately in combat and… what are you doing?"

Jaune looked up from where he was currently taking the terrorist's belt off. "Searching for weapons and anything that might serve as a clue." He held up the man's gun. "You want one?"

Weiss' face crinkled in distaste.

"I will never lower myself to using something that has been touched by those animals. I have my own weapon."

"Your own weapon which you left in your cabin?"

"P-Perhaps?" Weiss turned her head away, her cheeks carrying a tint of red.

"Well, I'm using this," Jaune said as he checked the gun. He had received training from Red and Blue on how to use guns. It was time to put it to use. "So, do we look for a storage locker to lock these two in?"

Weiss sighed. "That would be for the best, yes."

That was when the ceiling caved.

At that exact moment, the Giant Nevermore above the ship had sent its giant feathers down like meteors. The people fighting there simply hadn't been able to stop all the feathers from landing on the ship. One had gotten past them and burrowed into the hull with lightning speed.

And now it was about to fall on Weiss.

At that moment, as Jaune saw Weiss' eyes widen, there was only one choice for him to make. No, it wasn't even a choice.

His body just acted.

 **Fist. On!**

A crash. A powerful impact. And in the end, IXA stood protectively over Weiss Schnee, having successfully stopped the projectile from hitting her.

"So," said Jaune Arc, fully aware he had just transformed in front of the girl, "I don't suppose you'll believe I'm a robot?"

* * *

 **AN:**

 **When the fic began, I wasn't planning on using Red and Blue this much. I just needed some named soldiers, and they were already there, guarding Penny. I just needed to give them names. Funny how things work out.**

 **Anyway, I know some people expected things to jump right to the fight, but I wanted to show the perspectives of the other people in the ship first. By the way, the blonde woman who screams at her bodyguard is the one Weiss almost kills in Vol 4, and the huntsman working for her is the one RNJR finds dying in Shion village. They suited my purposes, so I decided to use them.**

 **Also, I'm naming her husband after _Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater_. Well, more like his grandfather is based on that. His grandfather is also the one who created Pumpkin Pete in this universe.**

 **This chapter marks the first time I write from Jacques' perspective. I didn't want him to come across as a coward. Dude's a dick, but he's probably gone through a lot to build his empire. He's not going to let himself be intimidated easily.**

 **Even if he's only wearing a robe and slippers.**

 **As for Weiss, well, as you can tell, she's pretty hostile towards the White Fang here. Like she said, her family's been at war with the White Fang for some time.**

 **Anyway, till next time!**


	15. Count the Medals! Part V

**I've been taking care of sick people all week and becoming increasingly sick myself, so apologies if this chapter has suffered for it**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

" _W-What? How? You are… How?!"_

" _So, that's a no then?"_

" _Explain!"_

xXx

A squad of White Fang grunts went over the _Argonaut's_ cabins one by one. While most passengers were being held hostage in the ballroom, it would be foolish to think everyone had been gathered in one place so easily.

With so many passengers, it was likely some had remained asleep. Maybe a passenger out there panicked too much to leave his cabin. Maybe someone tripped and fell unconscious during the explosion. Maybe there were even some who had realized the White Fang had taken control of the ship.

Right now, the existence of those passengers was an unknown, one that needed to be brought under control as soon as possible.

"Ready?" One of the masked terrorists asked, his hand on the door, ready to open it. Behind him were his comrades, their stances guarded and weapons ready.

"Ready," another replied. The other nodded.

"Go!"

As soon as the door was opened, the grunts rushed in.

"Room, clear."

"Bathroom, clear."

"Bedroom, clear."

"No hostiles here either."

"I can't believe this place is so roomy," said the first faunus as he entered the suite. "I thought ship cabins were supposed to be small or something."

There was nothing small about the cabin they were in. It was spacious in the way only a high-class hotel suite could be. It had fancy sofas, a big-screen TV, and a large bed the faunus knew would never be able to enter his small one-bedroom apartment.

"At least this one only has one floor," another faunus said. "That suite was disgusting. Places like these just make you hate rich people."

"You mean you didn't hate them before?"

"Quiet!" hissed another faunus. He held his hand up as he sniffed. "Do you smell that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"No, he's right." Another frowned. "Smells like… piss."

A shrill gasp cut through the room. The grunts' gazes turned to the spacious bed. The leader motioned for two of them to move it aside.

Underneath it was a young teen with brown eyes and dull blue hair. His clothes were fancy and his haircut fashionable. Had it not been for the terrified expression on his face as he tried to back away from the terrorists only to bump against the wall and the puddle of urine underneath him, he might have been called handsome.

One of the faunus grimaced as he pinched his nose.

"Gross. Do we really need to take him with us?"

"Yes, we do," replied the squad leader, looking at the teen with interest. "He's on the list. You're Marigold's kid, ain't you?"

"P-Please," the boy stuttered out. "D-Don't h-hurt me! You want money? I can give you money!"

"Always with the money." The squad leader's face turned dark. "You people think everything can be solved with money, don't you? That's how your dad got out of that sexual harassment case, ain't it? How about you? Daddy teach you to take advantage of those faunus maids he hires?"

"W-What?" The teen's face went ashen. "No! That's not… I don't…"

"Now see, why don't I believe you?" The terrorist raised his hand to strike the cowering boy.

The wall broke.

Without any warning whatsoever, a white wrecking ball crashed into the suite. It broke through the bathroom walls and bulldozed into the room. Only one of the grunts managed to turn in time to face it.

He received a fist to the face for his troubles.

The next two seconds were a blur of violence. Lightning fast punches and brutal but efficient takedowns. By the end of it all, IXA stood tall over the bodies of the defeated terrorists. The Marigold boy looked at the scene with stunned awe.

"Are you okay, citizen? Do you require medical attention?"

"What?" The words snapped the young teen out of his daze. "I...n-no. They didn't touch me. I'm okay… I think"

"I see." IXA nodded in what the young Marigold thought was a remarkably human way. "In that case, hurry and seek shelter in the lower decks."

On his own? Marigold's face paled at the prospect.

"What about you? Shouldn't you be escorting me?" As soon as he said it, he felt like slapping himself for trying to talk to an android. What was he thinking? It didn't matter if it was the latest in Atlesian technology. A robot was a robot.

To Marigold's surprise, IXA shook its head.

"Negative. First, I must make sure the terrorists are properly incapacitated."

"How are you going to do-" IXA held up a large roll of duct tape. "Oh."

"After that task is done, I shall continue diverting the attention of the White Fang towards myself. You need not worry, citizen. The White Fang will be too busy focusing their attention on this unit to bother looking for you."

Marigold tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Can I at least change my pants first?"

xXx

 _"That has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard! Why would General Ironwood… Why would Winter… Why you?!"_

" _You know, my mom always says that if you frown too much, your face will end stuck like that."_

" _I… that's… No! I refuse to partake in your foolishness. Stopping the White Fang is what's important right now!"_

xXx

Weiss Schnee was quietly making her way back to her suite.

Sneaking around was not something she was used to. A Schnee did not hide. A Schnee stood tall and proud in the face of all challenges. Out of the many things her father had taught her, that one was something she wholeheartedly believed in.

However, stealth was what was needed right now, and Weiss couldn't help but wince each time her combat heels made too much noise.

It wasn't as if she had anything to fear from the White Fang. She could handle those animals with ease.

She could handle them with ease… but they'd call for reinforcements.

Weiss knew she was most likely a priority target for the White Fang. The moment they caught wind of her location, they'd send all their men at her, and that couldn't happen because…

Because that was not her role in the plan.

In the distance, she could hear multiple gunshots and walls breaking. Weiss frowned. It meant Jaune was doing his part, but she still didn't like it. The White Fang was an enemy of the Schnee family, and she was the one training to be a huntress.

Yet here she was, letting someone else do the fighting.

The moment she reached her suite, Weiss took out her keycard and went in. Luckily, they still hadn't gone over her belongings. Yet another example of their lack of professionalism. Had they been more than mindless savages, they would have gone to the room of Weiss Schnee first.

Well, she should not complain too much.

Weiss allowed a smile to appear on her face as she took Myrtenaster out from under her bed and secured the weapon at her side. Dust cartridges ready and loaded.

It was time to do her part.

xXx

" _Are you crazy? Do you make it a habit of saying the dumbest thing you can think of?!"_

" _Well, that's just rude."_

" _And trying to take on every member of the White Fang in the ship by yourself is suicidal!"_

" _I'm not saying I'll take them all at the same time. I'm just saying I'll make enough noise to get their attention."_

xXx

" _Boss, we need back up!"_

" _We can't stop this thing! It's too fast!"_

" _It's like it's a fucking huntsman!"_

The messages came to Adam's Scroll one after another. It had been that way for the past five minutes.

"Trouble?"

Adam did not give Jacques Schnee the satisfaction of acknowledging him. The wealthy businessman along with other passengers of great importance had been moved from the ballroom to a smaller room which Adam was temporarily using as headquarters. He wanted Jacques Schnee where he could see him. Partially because he was wary of what the man may do if left alone. This was his ship, after all. Who knew what security measures he could activate?

The other reason for keeping him close was that he wanted to make sure nothing happened to him. Adam knew the most… volatile among his men were likely to kill Jacques Schnee the moment he turned his back on them.

Adam could understand wanting to kill Jacques Schnee. He would like nothing more than to remove the man's head from his shoulders. However, there was a time and place for such things and now was not it. Jacques Schnee was more useful to them as a hostage.

Unfortunately, the man knew it too.

"It seems to me your men are not doing well. Such a shame. It is all too often that a good idea is ruined by poor execution. Such things are to be expected when dealing with those limited by their natu-"

Adam slapped him.

The strike was quick and delivered with the back of his hand. Adam held back to stop himself from seriously wounding Jacques Schnee, yet it still sent the older man sprawling to the floor. There were panicked cries from the other hostages and cheers from his men, but Adam paid them no mind. Instead, he took comfort in the rush of satisfaction that coursed through his body at that moment.

A rush which faded all too quickly when he spotted the smug smile on Jacques' face.

Adam growled as he realized the man had gotten the reaction he wanted out of him. He had allowed Jacques Schnee to make him lose control, and the man knew it.

He was testing him.

Even held hostage as he was. Even though he knew he could be killed at any moment, Jacques Schnee had probed him to see how far he could push him, and now Jacques Schnee had his measure.

Even as a hostage, he attempted to control him.

He was going to enjoy killing him when the time came.

Turning away as he gnashed his teeth, Adam brought his scroll to his ear. "Security room, report! I want to know what's attacking our men!"

" _Sir, we're… not quite sure. Our men are still getting used to operating the security cameras and that thing moves too fast."_

Adam's temper spiked, and the man on the other end must have sensed it because he hurried to add, " _But some of us think it's that new Atlas bot. That Iggy or something. It's white and everything!"_

IXA.

Adam's frown grew thoughtful. They knew it would be on the ship, but Adam had hoped that by catching everyone by surprise, they would have been able to stop the military from activating the machine. In fact, he had sent some of his men to the cargo hold to secure it before anyone could turn it on only for them to report there was no machine there. For a moment, Adam had thought the whole thing had been smoke and mirrors.

However, if the robot was out there and taking down his men, did that mean they had stored it elsewhere? Who had activated it then?

No, that wasn't important right now. Smoothing his features into a mask of stoicism, Adam turned to face Jacques Schnee once more.

"It seems someone activated your new toy," he said, a hand on the hilt of his sword. "It would be in your best interests to tell me how to deactivate it."

Even lying on the ground with a bruise growing on the side of his face, Jacques Schnee smiled.

"I am afraid I must disappoint you. I do not possess the knowledge you're looking for."

"Do you really expect me to believe you allowed that thing into your ship without any failsafe?"

"Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. Unlike you, faunus, I have nothing to fear from the military or General Ironwood." Jacques' smile grew. "I daresay the only people who would know such a thing are the soldiers from Atlas. Ah, if only they weren't so busy fighting the Grimm above the ship. Well, I suppose you could send your men to help them."

And in doing so reduce the number of men he had controlling the passengers, weakening the White Fang's position and leaving them open to IXA's attack. Not likely.

"You seem remarkably calm about there being a robot attacking everything in sight."

"You are trying to appeal to my sense of self-preservation. Adorable. However, I have nothing to fear from IXA. The robot will only attack the enemies of Atlas. It is a remarkably high-tech piece of equipment."

Adam growled.

If it were a person, this would be easy to deal with. The threat of hostages would be enough to stop them. However, a machine couldn't be reasoned with. It would keep going through the ship, taking down as many of his men as it could. In the worst-case scenario, it would barge into the ballroom without caring about what could happen to the hostages.

It'd be a disaster. Once the bullets started flying the situation would become completely unsalvageable.

Certainly, the death of many of the people here would be a welcome boon to their cause, but it would be short-lived. Companies could replace their CEOs with ease. Shares would be bought and sold. New businesses would open, and the faunus would remain at the bottom.

Adam's lips formed a thin line.

"Do not look so cocky human. Your machine will not stop our plans."

Even if that meant he had to deal with it personally.

xXx

" _I'll admit it is not the best plan-"_

" _It doesn't deserve to be called a plan at all!"_

" _Look, do you have a better idea?"_

" _I…"_

" _You're the one who said this was something only you could do. You don't need me there with you, which means the best thing I can do is draw the White Fang's attention away from you. So again, if you think there is a better way, please tell me."_

xXx

To her most profound embarrassment, she hadn't been able to think of anything else.

Weiss frowned as she ran. Contrary to what Arc believed, she knew the map of the ship by heart. Now that she knew which place she was starting from, the way to her destination was clear.

Just who did he think he was!

It went without saying that the members of the White Fang were far from formidable opponents. The organization got by through sheer numbers and cowardly tactics. Weiss Schnee would never lose to any of them!

However, Weiss was someone who had received training from the best tutors money could buy. She was at the top of her class at Pleiades Academy. Her teachers had even said she was better than some graduates. There was no doubt in her mind she was a shoo-in for Beacon.

Jaune Arc was none of those things.

He was just a random person. Sure, he was part of the military, but soldiers weren't huntsmen. It was unlikely his training had been as rigorous as hers, and she doubted a suit of armor would change that, no matter how high-tech it was. Atlas may be the technological capital of the world, but there was a reason why it still tried to get graduates from Atlas Academy to join the ranks of the military.

More importantly, someone fighting in her stead while she skulked around galled Weiss at a fundamental level.

However, this was something only she could do.

Weiss' eyes narrowed as she heard voices up ahead. White Fang. No matter. She wasn't naive enough to think she would encounter no opposition. Judging by the sound, they were just around the corner.

Weiss slowed down, forcing herself to keep her breathing steady. Her grip tightened around Myrtenaster.

There was no need to be nervous, she told herself. She had trained for this. She hadn't lost a spar against a fellow student in over a year.

The moment she turned around the corner, she saw them. Five of them keeping watch over the room. Behind their masks, Weiss could almost see their eyes widening in recognition. In a second or two, they'd get over the shock of seeing Weiss Schnee appear out of nowhere. They'd report her presence to whoever was in charge, and the White Fang would realize what she was trying to do.

Unfortunately for them, Weiss had no intention of giving them even a second. With a motion of her hand, her Glyphs filled the space around them.

The hallways of the _Argonaut_ were narrow. They were not suited for the acrobatics most huntsmen and huntresses preferred.

For Weiss, that didn't matter one bit.

The moment her combat heels touched her glyphs, her body became a streak of white, her path already calibrated to the last millimeter.

The terrorists barely understood what was happening as Weiss Schnee blurred around them. They just crumbled to the floor in a heap after she was done beating them.

Weiss did not allow the momentary victory to make her lose focus. She was still not done with her mission.

Her hand touched the scanner beside the door the White Fang had been guarding. Had she been anyone else, she'd have needed a keycard. However, she was a Schnee. Her biometrics were already keyed to the ship. Her body was the ultimate master key.

The door opened automatically, revealing a room with a group of people tied and huddled in the corner and two White Fang grunts keeping watch of them. A third was trying and failing to operate the security cameras.

Weiss went for the two holding the hostages first.

In a tenth of a second, she was already between them. A slash of Myrtenaster brought one down. The other one she repelled with a Gravity Glyph, making him crash against the ceiling, head first.

Ice froze the last one in place. Weiss used Dust with such precision, not a single one of the machines in the room were damaged.

This time Weiss did allow herself to release the breath she had been holding as she turned to the hostages.

"Are you alright?"

"I… yes!" replied one of them, his face in awe. "That was amazing."

In spite of the situation, Weiss preened a little. Honest admiration was something she enjoyed. It was one of the reasons she liked singing. When the crowd applauded, it was her voice and effort they were praising, not her father's influence.

"Nevermind that." A flick of her sword undid his bindings. "You are the backup crew, are you not?"

And this was the secondary control room.

Most of the _Argonaut's_ systems were calibrated by the ship's onboard computer. That was why the ship's main control room only needed a pilot and a co-pilot. However, should the ship's systems fail, the secondary control room and crew would enter into action.

"Yes, Miss Schnee."

"Good. Untie the others and lock those terrorists somewhere else. I need everyone in their stations."

Weiss stood in front of another scanner and pressed her palm against it. At once, a mechanical voice rang out.

"Weiss Schnee. Recognized. Welcome, Miss Schnee."

"Engage Manual Override. Code WS021413."

"Code Accepted. Override Initiated."

All members of the Schnee family were keyed to the _Argonaut's_ systems and had been granted full privileges. It had been her father's idea, and now, Weiss was grateful for it.

It meant it only took her to completely take control of the ship.

"Start moving," Weiss ordered. "We will be taking this ship to Argus at full speed."

xXx

" _Fine! We'll do it your way. However, be warned, things won't suddenly fix themselves just because I take control of the ship."_

" _But you'll be able to take the ship to Argus and engage the ship's defenses, right?"_

" _Yes, and that will be useful. I will not deny that, but the ship won't suddenly get to Argus. Even though we're close. It'll take at least half an hour to get there at full speed. Maybe more depending on where we are right now."_

" _I get it. It's fine. I'll hold on till then."_

xXx

Fighting the White Fang was way easier than he expected.

Jaune wasn't sheltered enough to not have heard of the White Fang. He had seen them in the news once or twice, and once he joined the IXA Project, he had heard the name tossed around by the soldiers and by Winter. An organization created to advocate for faunus equality that turned violent.

Guns fired. The bullets bounced off his armor as he took another squad down in an instant.

The way people talked about them, Jaune had been expecting more of a challenge.

In hindsight, the ones he took down with Weiss should have been a big hint, but he thought the element of surprise had something to do with that. Now, Jaune knew the truth.

The White Fang was weak.

The grunts had Aura and knew how to shoot. That was the most he could say for most of them. For the most part, Jaune found them weaker than the robots he fought during his training sessions.

He distantly remembered Ironwood and Dr. Polendina saying the Aura of most people fell between D and C ranks on the Atlas scale. That sounded about right considering how quickly he was going through the terrorists.

A punch here. A kick there. A tackle. Down and down they went. Jaune was pretty sure he could take a number of them even without using IXA.

With it, it was just overkill.

Right now, Jaune was more worried about damaging the ship too much than he was about the White Fang hurting him. Knowing what not to break would be so much easier if Penny were around. Shame he couldn't call her from here.

As he finished taking down another squad, Jaune saw someone running towards him from the other end of the hallway.

The mask identified him as a member of the White Fang. However, the black suit was far different from what the other members wore. Did that mean he had a higher position or that he just didn't want to wear the uniform?

No matter. Jaune dashed towards the red-haired faunus. His sword was still sheathed, so if he was quick, he should be able to-

It happened in a thousandth of a second.

The red blade left the man's sheath and slashed across IXA's chest. Two more slashes followed as the faunus stepped forward, his sheath held in his other hand. He spun it around as it mecha-shifted into a rifle which he aimed at IXA's chest.

Three rounds were fired in quick succession, blowing IXA into one of the suites.

Of course, Jaune was not aware of this. All he knew was that he had suddenly been blown back and that his chest _hurt_.

As Jaune staggered to his feet, IXA's face recognition put a name to the mask that just kicked his ass. Adam Taurus. It listed him as dangerous, but Jaune didn't need to read that to realize he wasn't dealing with a run-of-the-mill grunt. The only things that had ever really hurt him while in IXA were a mutated-Grimm and Winter when she wanted to make a point.

This man had beaten him in the blink of an eye.

This… was kind of bad.

"You have caught me in a bad mood." Adam advanced towards him, his sword back in its sheath. "Since you are a machine, you won't complain if I take it out on you, won't you?"

"You are within violation of Atlas Law." Jaune struggled to keep his voice even and machine-like. While the speakers of the suit disguised it somewhat, trying to pretend the hits just now hadn't bothered him was not so easy. "Surrender now, and the court may show mercy on you."

That was how robots talked in movies, wasn't it?

Adam snorted. "A sense of humor. How quaint."

Adam dashed towards him. Jaune aimed the gun he had swiped from one of the grunts and opened fire. It was the first time he had to use a gun in combat, but with Adam running in a straight line and no bystanders nearby, hitting the target wasn't exactly difficult.

At least, it wouldn't have been if Adam didn't parry every single bullet with his sword.

Rather than running away, the swordsman kept advancing with confident steps. Jaune's eyes widened as a wave of Aura erupted from Adam sword. He crossed his arms in front of him. The gun broke as he was pushed back, but his suit endured the attack with only a thin slice running through it.

It was only surface damage, but the fact that Adam had managed to do that much was impressive.

"Impressive. It might not have been fully charged attack, but most robots wouldn't have endured that," Adam said, seemingly to himself as if he were re-evaluating the threat posed by IXA.

Meanwhile, Jaune's mind zeroed in on the part where Adam said the attack hadn't been fully charged. Did that mean it could have been even stronger? If so, why had Adam not done so? Had he just wanted to test him? Was it because he needed more time to charge it?

Regardless, Jaune wasn't about to give him any time.

Grabbing a piece of the floor that had come off during Adam's attack, Jaune threw it at him. The moment it got within range of Adam, his sword sliced it to pieces. Jaune expected that to happen.

He threw the bed at him next.

It was no problem for him, but for a time, the large bed obscured Adam's vision, allowing Jaune to come at him from the side, catching the faunus by surprise. He used all his speed to crash into Adam. Jaune roared as he kept going, charging through the wall and taking the faunus with him.

Use your strong points, Winter had told him once upon a time. Right now, that sounded like good advice. If this guy was faster and more skilled than him, then he just needed to turn this into a slugfest.

Taking advantage of his momentarily stunned opponent, Jaune grabbed him by the shirt and delivered a brutal headbutt to Adam's face. His other hand was already reaching for the IXA Knuckle. If he could land a solid blow with it, he could take this guy down. Even if Adam somehow had enough Aura to take the attack, he'd be too damaged afterward.

 **IXA Knuckle**

Jaune roared as he brought his fist down.

 **Rise Up!**

Adam dodged.

Luck. Instinct. Training. Whatever it was, it didn't change what happened. At the last second, the faunus regained his senses and rolled out of the way. Jaune's attack hit the deck, breaking it apart, sending them both down.

And down.

The damage from the IXA Knuckle was only the latest in a long list. The bullets fired by the White Fang, IXA breaking down several walls, all of it added up. Their combined weight was enough to send the two crashing down all the way to the cargo hold.

The two fighters quickly rushed to their feet, Jaune being the one worse for the wear. While Adam managed to get away from the blast in time, Jaune hadn't. A quick look at his Aura brought a measure of calm to him. He still had over two-thirds left. The suit had been the one to take the worst from the blast.

For his part, Adam watched him with wariness. His postured ready to counter-attack at any moment, his sword ready be drawn.

Jaune frowned.

What was the point of putting the sword back in its sheath when it prevented him from using the sheath's rifle form? Wouldn't it be better to keep it out? Was he that careless, or did he just not take him seriously? Neither sounded right. Was it just his fighting style then? It seemed to be that way, although Jaune wouldn't discount a Semblance that made his blows stronger the longer he kept the sword in its sheath. For all he knew, that could be a thing that existed.

He needed more information.

Knowing this was going to hurt, Jaune dashed towards Adam, arms crossed in front of him. As Adam's red blade lashed out again and again, Jaune cursed his lack of ranged weapons.

One. Three. Five.

The moment the shots came, Jaune jumped away. The sword was back in Adam's sheath.

Three more times the pattern repeated itself. Jaune tried to get close only for Adam's sword to keep him at bay with repeated slashes.

Five times. Sometimes six but no more.

Jaune breathed heavily as he checked his Aura meter. Close to half full. Good. He could do this. He had a plan. It was time to put it into action.

Again, he rushed at Adam. The faunus clicked his tongue in frustration.

"Is this the best the might of Atlas can do? A brainless machine without an ounce of fighter's intuition?!"

He was angry. That meant he wouldn't see this coming.

The first two slashes struck his right arm. The next three hit his left, and only one slice touched IXA's chest. The moment Jaune saw the sheath start mecha-shifting, he took a step forward instead of backing away. His foot hit the ground with so much force, it buried itself into the deck, grounding him.

Six shots came in quick succession.

Jaune gritted his teeth and bore the pain. His eyes fully focused on his opponent. Waiting for the right moment.

Adam's sword went back into its sheath.

There!

Jaune roared as he put all his strength into his leg to push himself forward, lunging at Adam like a wild beast.

This was it!

Adam was someone who fought using a quick-draw style. Eventually, his sword always went back to his sheath.

At that exact moment, he was defenseless.

That was why Jaune had attacked so recklessly before. He needed to get a feel for Adam's rhythm to know when to strike. Maybe someone who had trained for years would have been able to do it without getting hit so much, but it was like Winter said, he needed to work on his sense of timing.

Right now, it was perfect.

Jaune's fist was moments away from colliding with Adam's face with all his considerable strength.

Then it wasn't.

The pull of a trigger. That was all it took to change things.

Jaune's reasoning and analysis had been sound. However, he had let himself be carried to the wrong conclusion by assuming Adam needed to draw his sword.

He never once considered he could shoot it.

The hilt of the weapon hit IXA's visor. It didn't hurt much, but it stunned Jaune long enough for Adam to take back the initiative. He swayed to the side to dodge and slammed his elbow against Jaune's chest. The sheath twirled in his hand as if shifted forms before firing right at his jaw.

Dazed as he was, it was a wonder Jaune had enough sense to bring an arm up to block the Aura slice that followed.

Drip.

As the wave of red energy blew Jaune back, something dripped to the floor. Jaune looked down. IXA had been marred by the repeated slashes, and at last, a crack had been left on the suit.

The wound wasn't deep, and his Aura was already taking care of it, but that didn't change what just happened.

His blood had touched the floor.

His blood now stained Adam's sword.

"You," Adam said, looking from the blood on his sword to him.

"You're human."

Jaune flinched. There was nothing he could say to that. How could he deny it when the proof of his humanity was so blatantly displayed?

"So that's how it is. A dog clad in armor. Killing at the behest of his masters."

"Don't call me that!" Jaune snapped at him, no longer seeing any point in keeping up the act. "Besides, isn't that rich coming from a terrorist!"

"I may be a terrorist, but you're the one protecting monsters."

"What does that even mea-"

The mask came off.

Jaune suddenly found himself without words. IXA's visor meant he could see Adam's scars in perfect clarity. Horrible burns that would never go away and had robbed him of one eye to spell the name of his owner.

SDC.

"Jacques Schnee's men did this to me." Adam tapped the side of his face, almost as if it didn't matter, before putting the mask back on. "I was eight when it happened. I may be a terrorist, but you're the one defending a monster."

To that, Jaune had nothing to say.

Adam attacked.

Caught off-guard, Jaune could only stagger back as Adam landed a blow on his chest.

"Tell me, do you think I am the only one? That I'm an anomaly? Will you ignore the hundreds who have suffered in his mines."

Adam's sword lashed out with force. His mind shaken, Jaune could barely bring himself to dodge.

"Do you have any idea what type of people are in this ship?!" Adam shouted as he kept his furious attacks. "James Marigold. Numerous charges of sexual harassment against him have been brought up. They never go anywhere. He has money, and the victims are _only faunus_!"

The more he spoke, the more Adam's voice became drenched in disdain.

"Dun L'Omino. He has his hands all over the slave trade in Mistral. Most of his victims are faunus. Chrome Whitechapel! Organ trafficking. Do you realize how absurd that is? They'll tell us we're inferior yet take our organs! That's the type of people you're protecting right now! How can you justify it?!"

Each word out of Adam's mouth was a new blow to Jaune's resolve.

He couldn't be telling the truth, could he? Jaune wasn't naive enough to think every criminal was behind bars. He understood there were evil people out there, but… was he fighting to protect that sort of people right now? Were there monsters wearing thousand-lien clothes within walking distance?

He tried to push the thought away.

The memory of those miners looking at him with fear in their eyes kept replaying in his mind.

And at that moment, Jaune hesitated.

Adam's sword struck and pierced through his suit after wearing it down through many repeated blows. Jaune's Aura should have stopped it from wounding him, but it didn't. At that moment, Jaune's Aura wasn't protecting his body. For one precious moment, he had allowed his Aura to fade away.

For Aura was the light of the soul, and how could the soul shine when the mind was so clearly in turmoil?

Adam's sword sunk deep into his body. The swordsman's cold blue eye met his through the visor before twisting the blade inside and pushing him away.

Jaune fell.

His mind struggled to comprehend what had just happened. How was he wounded? Why was he bleeding? Why was everything going dark?

Why was everything so cold?

Was he… was he dying?

No!

He still had Aura. He could still fight! He could feel it! He just needed to let it heal him!

So why wasn't it doing that!

Why did it feel so far away?

The warmth that had accompanied him ever since General Ironwood unlocked his Aura seemed so distant, like light flickering out in the darkness.

No!

Don't fade away!

If it went away… if it faded out… He was really going to die.

Shine!

Shine! ShinE! ShINe! ShINe! SHinE! SHInE SHINE! SHINE SHINE! SHINE! SHINE SHINE! SHINE! SHINE SHINE! SHINE! SHINE SHINE! SHINE! SHINE SHINE! SHINE! SHINE SHINE! SHINE! SHINE SHINE!

 **SHINE!**

 **Burst Mode! Engaged!**

* * *

 **AN:**

 **The moment I heard Henry Marigold may show up in Vol 7, I knew I had to include him in this chapter. I mean, everyone loves Henry Marigold, don't they?**

 **Yep, nothing else important happened.**

 **As an aside, kudos to whoever guesses who** **Dun L'Omino and Chrome Whitechapel are meant to be based from. Not that they're going to be particularly relevant (in this fic at least), but still. Speaking of, Adam's rant was hard to do for various reasons, the lack of faunus racism proportional to the White Fang's activities not the least among them. Makes me feel I dropped a lot of 'yeah, bad things happen in Remnant' on you guys with not a lot of build up.**

 **Anyway, 'till next chapter!**


	16. Count the Medals! Part VI

**You know how last chapter I said I was starting to get sick? Well, apparently that was the signal for illness to kick my ass. Apologies for any quality drop as a result.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Adam pulled his sword out of IXA's body and flicked the blood away. He pushed the dying body away from him and turned his back on it as it fell to the floor with a dull thud.

As far as Adam was concerned, there was no need to wait. His sword had gone right through the man's kidney. His renal artery was cut. In a little over a minute, IXA would bleed out and die. That armor was bound to be worth something, so he'd have to send some men to recover the corpse later. Right now, the hostages were his priority.

Adam had only taken three steps when he felt it.

In an instant, he turned around even he backed away. Blinding white filled the room. Aura of such potency he had no trouble feeling it washed over him. It couldn't be! Even if the man inside the suit had Aura left, he shouldn't be in any condition to activate it, and even if he could, his Aura shouldn't be anywhere near this potent.

Yet it was.

IXA rose, its body coated in blinding white. The wound Adam had made closed with speed that simply shouldn't be possible.

Then Adam heard the words.

 **Burst Mode. Engaged.**

Adam crossed his arms in front of him as a wave of heat erupted from the suit. He could feel it bite against his Aura, yet he stood his ground. He covered his mouth as the blazing air threatened to enter his lungs, yet he never tore his eyes away from the sight in front of him.

IXA's black visor peeled away to reveal twin red lenses. As the visor peeled back, so did the gold around IXA's head, changing to something resembling a horned crown.

It wasn't a significant change. It shouldn't mean anything.

The person inside the suit was still the same. His Aura should be low from having to heal that wound. The heatwave just now had been impressive but no more than that. That was what Adam's brain was telling him.

Yet, as IXA took a step forward, steam rising from its body, Adam took a step back.

IXA's eyes glowed.

Adam barely got his weapon up in time to block IXA's punch. The armored soldier roared as, rather than backing away, he put even more power into his fist, knocking Adam back even as the faunus' Semblance drained most of the blow's energy.

As he was sent flying back, Adam aimed Blush at IXA and fired. Rather than trying to dodge, IXA just bulldozed through his bullets.

Adam growled and swung his blade at IXA as it came close. Unlike before where it had been helpless against his speed, IXA brought his arm up to block and smashed his fist against Adam's mask. Spit flew from Adam's mouth as IXA followed it up with a flurry of punches to his torso.

What was this?

This strength. This speed.

Where had it come from?

Adam roared as he used the energy gathered by his Semblance to boost his body. An incoming punch was blocked by his blade, further increasing his stockpile. Adam gritted his teeth as he pushed IXA back, power crackling around him.

"Do you even understand what you're fighting for right now?! If so, just lie down and die already!"

Pure red erupted from his sword. Unlike before when Adam had allowed the stored energy to surge from his blade for added range, this time Adam kept all that power contained within Wilt. With all the power IXA had fed him throughout the fight, cutting through that armor would be child's play. It was time to end this.

IXA dodged.

Moving with speed it hadn't possessed before, IXA managed to sway out of the way. His timing was impeccable. Almost as if he had expected it.

Adam's eyes widened. A hand caught his throat.

IXA jumped.

For the second time that day, a hole was torn through the decks of the _Argonaut_. This time, it was caused by IXA and Adam rocketing all the way to the top.

Adam gasped as his back hit a Griffon.

Wait, a Griffon?

Even as his blade lashed out to slash the Griffon's head off, cold realization washed over Adam's body as he took in his surroundings and the pain in his back made itself known.

The lunatic had jumped all the way through the ship!

Twisting his body in mid-air, Adam managed to land on his feet. IXA was not so lucky.

However, _that thing_ stood up all the same. Its red gaze never left Adam.

"Are you crazy?" Adam yelled as IXA ignored the Grimm entirely and went for him. Not only had it dragged him all the way outside, where they could be attacked by Grimm at any moment, it also wasn't even attempting to fight the Grimm!

It was insane!

Adam attacked IXA with renewed vigor, but the damned thing just wouldn't go down. Blows and counters rang through the sky. Any Grimm unlucky enough to get close was cut down to ribbons or punched into smithereens. With each blow, Adam's frustration grew.

It didn't make any sense!

Just moments ago, this man had been full of hesitation. How could he be so strong now? How could he fight so fiercely?

His foe offered no answers.

IXA kept advancing towards him.

xXx

Combat was a weird beast.

Sometimes a minute could feel like an hour. Sometimes, the opposite happened. As if the longer combat dragged on, the shorter it became in a person's mind. Guns fired. Grimm screeched. Things exploded. It all started to blur together. The mind trying to protect itself, someone had told Red once.

Red didn't know about stuff like that. Brainy stuff was always more Blue's thing.

Red could only speak of his own experiences. He'd like to say that eventually one got used to it. He was a soldier. He had faced combat several times. He had fought against the Creatures of Grimm and come out victorious. Naturally, he'd become inured to the whole thing, right?

Wrong.

As it turned out, one never really got used to life or death battles. Did it get easier? Sure.

It just never became easy. Not in a way that mattered.

The sound of claws digging into the deck was his only warning of the Griffon about to pounce on him. Red rolled and shot as the beast sailed over him. It was the height of unfairness for something so big to be able to sneak up on people, but that was Grimm for you.

As Red's bullets tore into the Griffon's belly, multiple people joined in. One of the huntsmen sliced the thing's head off. However, there was no time for celebration. No time to stop.

There were still many monsters to kill.

How many Griffons had they killed by now? Red didn't know. The Giant Nevermore had been taken down within the first few minutes of the fight. That much, he knew for sure.

After that, things became blurry. Red had no idea how many Grimm had been killed already or how long they had all been fighting. The Griffons were many and relentless. They never let them have a moment's rest.

Dodge. Attack. Kill.

The pattern repeated itself numerous times. The more they fought, the more used they got to working together. On the downside, the more they fought, the more Aura they used and the more vicious the Griffons became.

"Is that Ja-IXA?"

Blue's voice took Red's attention for an instant. Sure enough, IXA had joined the fight, but he wasn't fighting against the Grimm.

"What the fuck is the White Fang doing here?"

Even as Red asked that question, several things became clear. Why had the shields not worked in time? Why had the weapon-delivery system failed? Why weren't the ship's defenses backing them up? It was all clear now.

And yet, even as those questions were answered, a new one took their place.

"How the fuck did they get someone that good working for them?"

Red watched with stunned eyes as Jaune fought the black-suited White Fang member. When wearing IXA, Red knew Jaune was more than capable of kicking his ass. It hurt his pride a bit to admit a fifteen-year-old with a few months of training could beat him, but it was the truth. As long as Jaune was wearing IXA, even the students from the four Academies weren't much.

Right now, Jaune was fighting harder than Red had ever seen him fight before. He moved through the deck as quick as lightning. Any Grimm that got close to him received a swift end.

Yet, the black-suited man was keeping pace with him.

Black and white raced around the deck, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake. They moved so fast, Red could barely make out their forms. Any thoughts of trying to back Jaune up were lost with the realization he couldn't even aim at his foe. It was enough to make the huntsmen on deck look unimpressive by comparison.

It didn't make any sense.

The White Fang was a large organization, but its individual members were not that strong. They had a few veterans from the Faunus Wars in their ranks, but those guys were already past their prime. While there were a few good fighters among their younger members, they had nothing that could actually be compared to real huntsmen.

So, who the hell was this guy?

Distracted as he was, Red failed to heed Blue's voice warning him. A Griffon leaped at him. Too late, he saw the beast coming. He braced himself for the hit he was sure to receive.

It never came.

One of the ship's turrets fired on the Griffon, pushing the beast back. All around them, the ship's defenses were finally doing their job. A grin spread over Red's face.

About time!

xXx

"What? No!"

Ashton White furiously tried to regain control of the ship, but no matter how much he tried to slow it down, the ship wouldn't obey him.

It didn't make any sense. All of a sudden, the ship began to pick up speed without any input from him. Not only that but the weapon system had been engaged. At this rate, the Grimm would be destroyed before they had fulfilled their purpose.

"Why isn't it working?" Ashton yelled, furiously and futilely gripping the controls. If things kept going this way, not only would they have all the security personnel to deal with, but the ship would deposit them right outside the Argus base.

The loss of more hostages than planned would become a certainty at that point.

"What have I done?" Ashton muttered to himself as he backed away from the controls. "What do I do?"

Why was the ship of Jacques Schnee failing at such a crucial moment? Wasn't it supposed to… Wait!

The secondary controls!

"Of course!"

Realization flashed across Ashton's eyes. The secondary control room! How could he have forgotten about it? Was he so shaken by everything going on that his brain somehow failed to make such an obvious connection?

No matter.

He needed to inform the others of this. He needed to let them know someone had hijacked the ship and…

Ashton stopped.

As he picked the intercom to inform his fellows of the problem, he stopped. He hesitated, one thought running through his mind.

Was this the right thing?

It was just a few seconds. Who knows what decision Ashton White would have made if that moment had stretched any longer?

It was swiftly cut down by a strong blow to the back of his head.

Ashton crumbled to the floor. His partner, Finn, had regained consciousness without him noticing and managed to undo his bindings while Ashton panicked. Ashton never saw him coming.

"Fuck you, Ashton," Finn said, breathing heavily. "Fuck you."

xXx

Weiss Schnee stared at the ceiling with a complicated expression on her face.

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

 _"100%, ma'am,"_ came the voice from her scroll. _"You're right below it."_

By it, the technician meant she was directly below the center of the ballroom. The ballroom was rectangular in area, so Weiss was not exactly equidistant to every corner of the room. However, this was the best she'd get, an empty cabin whose doors she had already secured.

"Very well. Start transferring the security feeds to my scroll," Weiss said, laying her scroll on a table, a frown on her face.

This… was going to be difficult.

The ship was on its way to Argus, and according to the crew, it seemed they'd get there earlier than expected. Once they were in range, calling the Atlas military base would be a simple matter. Even if the White Fang realized what was happening, Weiss would like to see them try to get past all the ice she had left blocking the way to the secondary control room.

With the turrets up and running, those who were fighting the Grimm would soon be free to help. Taking into account the number of White Fang grunts Jaune had brought down beforehand, it was clear that the White Fang would soon lose control of the ship. They were outnumbered and outgunned.

However, that presented a new problem.

The White Fang still had an entire room full of rich and influential hostages. Knowing the lunatics, they'd probably try blowing themselves up the moment they were cornered. That simply couldn't be allowed to happen. Weiss had memorized the guest list in preparation for the party at Argus. She understood how dire the consequences of the passengers' deaths could be.

Which meant it was up to her to stop it.

Weiss' eyes carefully tracked the motions of every White Fang grunt in the room above her through the security cameras. The passengers were all squashed against walls. The grunts, meanwhile, kept watch over them from the center, with at least five of them guarding each of the doors.

It was not as bad as it could be, but there were still dozens of them to deal with, and Weiss needed to do it all at once. She couldn't risk bullets being fired.

Even for a fully-trained huntsman, breaking into the room and taking down so many people in the blink of an eye would be exceedingly difficult if not outright impossible. However, Weiss was a Schnee. That gave her a unique advantage over regular people.

Her Semblance.

The Schnee Family Semblance.

If Weiss could make her glyphs appear under each of the terrorists, then taking them all down by channeling Dust through them was not impossible. However, such a task would demand intense concentration. Weiss needed to know exactly where to make each of her glyphs appear, which was why she staring at the security feed so intently.

No one could be unaccounted for. There was no room for error. Weiss needed to imprint every corner of the room and all their movement patterns into her mind.

Weiss found herself wishing she had packed more Ice Dust. If she had, this would be considerably easier. When channeled through her glyphs, Ice Dust would ensure the automatic incapacitation of her targets. However, Weiss had used most of her Ice Dust while fighting the White Fang and then while securing the doors.

That left Weiss with only one choice.

Gravity Dust.

If there was one type of Dust the _Argonaut_ wasn't lacking, it was Gravity Dust.

Weiss slowly placed vials of Gravity Dust on the desk and took out her sword. She pressed the call button on her scroll.

"I'll start the process in a minute," she said to the crew. "Be ready to inform the passengers."

 _"Understood, Miss Schnee!"_

Weiss closed her eyes and held Myrtenaster in both hands. She focused on an image of the ballroom drawn inside her mind. In a few seconds, she was going to create more Glyphs at once than she ever had before. The Gravity Dust would bind the White Fang momentarily.

That was when the security personnel inside the ballroom needed to act. They couldn't fight while the White Fang held so many hostages, but the moment she incapacitated them, they'd be free to do so.

Gravity Dust glowed all around Weiss as she bound it to her will. Weiss gritted her teeth from the effort, her Aura rapidly draining away. A brilliant glyph erupted beneath her feet. The desk and her scroll started floating.

 _Please work._

Weiss Schee brought her sword down.

xXx

High above everyone else, the two fighters clashed. They leaped from one Griffon to another as they chased after each other, the impacts from their strikes ringing all the way down to the lowest decks.

Adam Taurus fought for a cause. He believed in the White Fang's mission. He believed in rising against the humans who had terrorized and oppressed them for so long.

That was why he could stand up. That was why he could keep fighting, no matter how tired he was.

However, why did Jaune Arc fight?

Was Jaune Arc fighting to stop the White Fang?

Was Jaune Arc fighting to save the passengers?

Perhaps a proper, righteous hero would be fighting for those things, but Jaune had already lost sight of such motives. From the moment Adam's sword pierced his body, only one thought had remained in Jaune's mind.

He didn't want to die.

There was nothing more to it than that. It was an instinct that could be understood by any living creature.

Jaune Arc fought not to save or protect anyone, but rather because he desperately didn't want to die. It was the only thought still running through his mind, and so, while desperately afraid of death, he raised his fists time and time again. Jaune had long since lost sight of where he was and what he should be doing. The shock of almost dying had been that great. The only thing Jaune knew for sure was that if he lost to Adam, he'd die.

That was why he needed to defeat him.

Jaune fought fiercely, but not mindlessly. Each of the lessons Winter had beat into his body, now guided his movements. The longer the fight dragged out, the more used he became to Adam's fighting style. His timing adjusted with each blow. Adam's sword skill, which had seemed like such an insurmountable obstacle before, became a known variable. Jaune could see the red blade moving through the air. He could strike its flat side to protect himself from its edge, leaving Adam exposed.

Slowly but surely, it was Adam who was losing ground.

A roar.

A fist.

Adam crashed into the deck. The faunus stood up, coughing yet not beaten. He barely raised his sheath in time to block the incoming kick. IXA's red eyes burned menacingly, and for the first time in a long while, Adam felt a stab of hesitation.

There was no time to process it. IXA didn't give him time. He twisted his body and drove an elbow into his chest. Spit flew from Adam's mouth as he was blown back several yards.

Adam breathed heavily as he stood up. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

No, Adam narrowed his eyes. He was thinking about it the wrong way. Between the two of them, it had been him who had taken less damage throughout the fight. The soldier's Aura had to be at its limit. If he could just last a couple more blows and absorbed enough power, then he could turn the tables.

Yes, he just needed to last a few more exchanges-

An explosion rocked the ship. Adam used the interruption to jump away from his foe. As he did, a pair of arms hooked under his shoulders and dragged him up.

"Yuma," Adam said, recognizing the man who had quite literally pulled him out of the fight.

"Plan's shot to hell," the bat faunus said. "We're pulling out."

What?

Adam frowned, but the lights of Argus shining in the distance soon showed him how dire things were. He saw the military ships in the sky, and perhaps more importantly, he saw there was no barrier of Hard-Light Dust in the way.

That meant either someone in the ship had managed to turn off the barrier or perhaps more worryingly...

"We blew up the barrier generator."

"We did."

Which meant control of the ship had been completely taken from them. Adam clicked his tongue. However, there was only one course of action available to them right now.

"All forces… retreat."

Not needing to be told twice, Yuma flew him to the White Fang ship.

IXA's red gaze followed him all the way.

xXx

Military ships were not the only ones approaching the _Argonaut_.

Lisa Lavender was aboard a helicopter. Her cameraman captured the sight of the ruined _Argonaut_ and the fleeing terrorists for the people of Remnant to see from their homes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lisa Lavender said. "We're still not clear on the details, but it seems the international terrorist organization known as the White Fang has attacked the _Argonaut_ , and they're now fleeing from the scene! I repeat! The White Fang is on the run!"

The intrepid reporter squinted her eyes.

"I think I see something on top of the _Argonaut_. Can we get a better picture?"

Even as her cameraman did his best to get a better view, the helicopter moved closer to the ship with each second.

"I think… Yes, it is IXA! IXA stands at the top of the _Argonaut_! Ladies and gentlemen, to all the people watching us, it seems that IXA has driven the White Fang away!"

Lisa Lavender smiled to herself. Making the trip from Atlas to Argus overnight had been the right call. She could already see the headlines.

"I repeat! IXA has saved the _Argonaut_ from the White Fang."

If she only knew the hero of the hour had already lost consciousness.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **This is one of the shortest chapters of the story, if not the shortest. I could blame it on the sickness, but it really didn't want to be larger than this. Well, originally there was going to be an explanation of Adam's Semblance and how he uses it in combat, but it was too long and broke the flow. I'll save it for later.**

 **Anyway, one of the things I wanted to show here is that Adam is kind of a big deal, even by huntsmen standards. He's no Qrow, but who is?**

 **Next chapter should be the last one of this arc. Lots of things happened. It's time to deal with the fallout.**

 **'Till then!**


	17. Count the Medals! Part VII

**It's time.**

* * *

Finn was going home.

In the aftermath of the attack on the _Argonaut_ , many things had happened. The military had flooded the ship and escorted it to Argus. From there, those who needed medical attention had been taken to the nearest hospital. Compared to the people who had fought against the Grimm, Finn had barely been wounded. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once the doctors declared Finn healthy, the authorities had shoved him into the nearest interrogation room. The interrogator had grilled him for hours, asking question after question, probing his story for holes.

Sad thing was, Finn couldn't even get mad about it. The _Argonaut_ had two pilots. One of them had been a terrorist.

The other one had been the terrorist's friend.

Finn frowned.

Ashton. He still wasn't sure how to feel about that. Ashton had been at his wedding. Hell, he'd been at his bachelor party!

How long had Ashton been part of the White Fang? Since the day they met? Before? After?

Had he ever known the real Ashton?

Finn sighed. The whole thing was too complicated for a simple guy like him.

" _You're free to go."_

" _Really? No more questions?"_

" _Your friend confessed to everything. The security videos backed his testimony. We may call on you if we need to verify some information."_

At least, Ashton had owned up to his actions instead of throwing him under the bus out of spite. Should he be thankful for that? The police would have seen the security videos eventually, so it wasn't as if Ashton's testimony had been necessary to get him out of trouble.

"Jerk," Finn muttered as he walked through the streets that led to his home. It was late at night. There were no people in sight.

With the _Argonaut_ in dire need of repair, the trip around the world had been canceled. Finn wasn't sure how the SDC was going to handle all those refunds, and to be frank, he didn't care. Right now, he just wanted to rest.

Finn's house came into view. The moment he got close, the door burst open. His wife rushed out despite the late hour, a sign she had been waiting for him next to the window. He had told her not to do that, but she always worried too much.

As she caught him in a hug, Finn immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him, her cute bear ears tickling his chin.

"Are you alright?" She asked. Her hands were warm against his cold cheeks.

Finn smiled.

If it weren't for Ashton, he probably wouldn't have her. He'd have been too scared to date a faunus. Too worried about what others would think.

The bastard had that going for him.

"When I'm with you? Always," he said, leaning down to catch his wife's lips in a kiss.

Ashton should have set more guys up with cute faunus girls instead of trying to hijack ships. The absolute moron.

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

It was official.

"It happened during the fifth month of the war. On orders of the King, General Arc's forces were to land on the western coast of Sanus and from there march to Vacuo. However, this move had been foreseen. One of Vacuo's greatest military minds, General Doon had been waiting for them. General Arc's ships were greeted by artillery strikes the moment they got close to the coast."

"What happened next?!"

"Well, General Arc's army wasn't keen on trying to bulldoze their way to the coast. Such a move would cost them too many lives. However, retreating to try to find another way into Sanus would cost the army valuable time and supplies. Realizing immediate action was needed, General Arc chose ten men to go with him behind enemy lines!"

Caroline Cordovin was awesome.

"No way!" Jaune said, his eyes wide with wonder.

"Yes way! The old major replied with a firm nod. "My father was one of them. Together, they braved the cold waters and sneaked into the enemy's camp at night. They started a fire which distracted the soldiers, allowing their ships to reach the coast during the chaos. By the time the sun rose, General Arc's army had defeated the opposition and secured the coast."

"Whoah!" Jaune tried to picture his great-great-grandfather braving the cold evening waters. "I never heard that story."

"It doesn't surprise me," Cordovin said. "According to my father, General Arc was not prone to boasting. It's unlikely he would have shared his many war stories with his children. However, those who served under him undoubtedly spread the tales of his bravery. Why, my father practically raised me on stories of General Arc. It warms my heart to see a young man taking after such a patriotic example."

A few days had passed since the attack on the _Argonaut_. Jaune had spent nearly all of them on bed rest. While the doctors from the Argus base said he didn't have any serious physical injuries, he did have what was known as Aura Erosion Syndrome.

Or, as Red and Blue had called it, Aura Burn.

From what Jaune understood, it meant he had used more Aura than his body was used to handling. It was a condition that occasionally showed up on huntsmen. Jaune would recover, but in the meantime, he wasn't to participate in any physical activity.

Instead of putting him in the base's infirmary, Jaune was placed in a room that was usually reserved for VIPs. Due to who he was, it was better if not many saw him.

Since then, the base commander, Caroline Cordovin, had taken to visiting him. Her father had served with Jaune's great-great-grandfather during the Great War. She had many stories to tell, and Jaune was eager to hear them.

"It's nothing much," Jaune said. "Just trying to do my best."

"Nonsense," Cordovin said. "To be chosen by General Ironwood for such an honor. Truly, you are a lucky young man. You'll do Atlas and your family proud. I'm sure of it!"

Jaune had arrived at the base all banged up and wearing IXA, so Red and Blue hadn't been able to hide his identity from her. Thankfully, a call from General Ironwood was all it took for Cordovin to swear to take the secret to her grave.

"I hope so," Jaune said, laughing a bit nervously. Compared to Winter, who only rarely gave praise, Cordovin's bombast caught him flat-footed.

It wasn't as if Jaune hadn't been praised openly before. However, that praise usually came from his parents. When they praised him, it was because he was their son and they loved him, not because he had done anything to deserve it.

"I say you're well on your way, young lad." Cardovin enthusiastically patted his shoulder. "Why, to think you drove back those terrorists at your age. It's enough to make this old lady jealous! Ah, if only I were younger, I'd have charged in! Nothing quite like bringing the enemies of Atlas to justice to get the blood pumping!"

At the mention of the White Fang, Jaune's smile became strained. Too many things happened in that ship for him to feel satisfied, and he wasn't just thinking about the part where he almost died.

Someone knocked at the door.

"Who is it?" Cordovin asked.

"Specialist Winter Schnee," came the reply. The familiar voice had Jaune sitting up straighter. "I am here to visit Warrant Officer Arc."

Without even waiting for permission, Winter entered the room. It wasn't like she needed it. Specialists commanded a lot of respect in the army, and Caroline Cordovin, from what Red and Blue had told him, didn't. Jaune had no idea why that was. She was a nice old lady who had apparently been in the army for a long time. A bit too enthusiastic, but no more than that.

"Specialist Schnee!" Cordovin's face lit up with joy. "What a pleasure it is to finally meet you!"

"Likewise," Winter said, though her voice was significantly less enthused than that of the older woman. "I apologize for the abrupt entrance, but it is of vital importance that I debrief Warrant Officer Arc in private."

"Oh?" At Winter's meaningful look, Cordovin got the message. "Oh! Of course. Please, go ahead. Use the room for as long as you need. I have left my men alone for too long."

"Thank you for being so accommodating." Winter gave her a short nod. "I'll be sure to let General Ironwood know of it."

Winter's words were enough to add a spring to Cordovin's step and smile to her face. It occurred to Jaune that Winter was really good at handling people. That or Cordovin was the type of person who was easily handled.

"Let me look at you."

"Huh?"

The moment Corodvin left them alone, Winter was suddenly right next to him, her hands on his face as she carefully examined him. The gesture was so unexpected coming from Winter that Jaune went utterly still.

"Good, it doesn't seem like you are in any pain," Winter said as she tilted Jaune's head to the right. "I read the report on my way here, but one can never be too sure. Have you experienced any adverse symptoms? Headaches? Nausea? Dizziness?" Winter grimaced. "Vomiting?"

"What? No. Nothing like that." Jaune wanted to back away from Winter's intense stare, but her hold on him was firm. "Just a little sore. Nothing more."

Winter's stare intensified.

"I swear!"

"I see." Winter finally backed away. "It is rather common after experiencing Aura Burn, although common is not a word I'd use to describe your case."

Jaune blinked.

"Why not? I thought it was just something that happened to people who used their Aura too much?"

"Jaune, Aura Burn usually happens under extreme circumstances," Winter explained, a serious look on her face. "It happens to huntsmen who are left behind in Grimm-infested wilds and have to fight their way back to civilization for several days or even weeks. It happens when soldiers are forced to hold a siege against hordes of Grimm. You got Aura Burn from less than an hour of combat."

"Oh."

"Indeed." Winter sighed. "I would not worry about it too much. The doctors here have already ascertained your health. Furthermore, Dr. Polendina has already received the data from IXA. If there is anything wrong, he'll figure out how to fix it. You should only focus on recovering."

Jaune sighed in relief.

"Good." He'd been getting worried for a second there. "So, how did your mission go, ma'am?"

Jaune frowned as something occurred to him.

"Am I allowed to ask about that, or is it hush-hush stuff?"

Winter chuckled softly. "It is not classified. It was merely a joint mission between Vale and Atlas."

"Sounds important."

To Jaune's surprise, Winter shook her head.

"Joint missions are often done to foster cooperation between the kingdoms. There is nothing special about them. However, this case was perhaps more sensitive than others. There was a young woman with an unstable weather-control Semblance."

"What happened to her?" Jaune asked, easily getting invested in the tale. An out-of-control Semblance sounded terrible.

"Nothing bad, I assure you. My Semblance was deemed appropriate to restrain her without causing her harm. Together with the representative chosen by Headmaster Ozpin, we were able to safely secure her. She's now at Beacon where she'll receive instruction in the use of her Semblance."

Jaune smiled, a smile that soon slipped when he caught Winter muttering something about birds.

Had he heard that right? Probably not. Maybe he was still tired from fighting the White Fang.

At the thought of the terrorist organization, a frown appeared on Jaune's face.

"I… When I was fighting the White Fang, one of them showed me his face. He had scars there… they said…it said..."

"SDC," Winter finished for him. "I know. I saw the footage collected by IXA."

Jaune stared at Winter. He didn't need to voice the question burning inside him. It was written all over his face.

How had something like that happened?

Winter held his gaze for a long time before finally seeming to come to a conclusion.

"It all started with a man called Pear Fouettard," Winter said, her voice uncharacteristically sad, her gaze looking out the window. "He was in charge of our northernmost mine, a place called Gugalanna, far beyond the kingdom's walls."

"Like Fort Grey?"

"Worse. There was nothing near that place. No military. No settlements of any kind. The SDC was the only authority. Fouettard was the only authority." Winter paused. Jaune noticed one of her hands had found its way around the hilt of her sword. "I do not know if Fouettard was always bad or if something caused him to become like that. Regardless, what he did there cannot be denied. Fouettard abused his power. He committed many despicable acts. Branding was one of them, a punishment for those who misbehaved."

Jaune swallowed.

"So that guy, Adam, was…?"

"A former resident of Gugalanna in all likelihood."

Jaune slouched a little. Somehow, someway, he had been hoping that Adam guy had been lying. He knew it was not to be, though.

"And this Guga-something, why did no one stop Fouettard?"

Why had they allowed something like that to happen?

"The miners were too scared to go against him, and there was nowhere to run other than the Grimm-infested wilds. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, Gugalanna was just another mine. Of course, the truth eventually got out. It was an utter scandal. Fouettard and his men were put on trial and sentenced to jail. The SDC denied having any knowledge of his actions and did their best to wash their hands of the whole thing. It cost them quite a bit of money."

"And did they? Have any knowledge of it, I mean?" Jaune asked, too late realizing he had just asked Winter if her dad approved of torturing faunus. Thankfully, Winter did not seem to take offense to the question.

"My father is at worst greedy and negligent. Cruelty for the sake of it has never been a vice of his." Winter said, sounding sure of herself. "Since Gugalanna, the SDC has tried to keep a closer eye on their mines. I cannot say their efforts have been as good as they should be. To this day, many faunus suffer due to my father's lack of oversight. Thankfully, there has been no case as bad as Gugalanna."

"And Fouettard? Is he still in jail?"

Or had he somehow gotten out? Just thinking about it made Jaune feel sick.

"Dead," Winter replied, much to Jaune's surprise. "The jail he was sent to had several faunus prisoners. He didn't last the night."

Was that good or bad? Jaune didn't know. Taking solace in someone's death wasn't something he could ever see himself doing.

"When did this all happen?" Jaune asked, suddenly feeling very tired.

Why hadn't he heard about this before?

"You would have been seven at best when it hit the news," Winter said. "I hardly think your parents would have let you watch something like that."

Jaune scowled. Another thing his parents hid from him.

"But still, shouldn't it be remembered more?"

"The memory of the people is a fleeting thing. Every day there is something new to catch their attention," Winter said, making a sweeping motion with her hand. "A new movie. A new scandal. A tournament. A heroic tale of a huntsman overcoming adversity. Bleak as it may sound, the public's memory tends to last only as much as the next headline."

Jaune looked at his lap. That really did sound bleak.

"Adam also mentioned other things. He said-"

"Whitechapel and L'Omino are scum." Winter's words came without a second's hesitation. Seeing his surprised look, she added," I told you I watched the recording. I heard your conversation."

"Then why were those people in that ship? If they're so bad then why…?"

Why weren't they in jail?

"Lack of evidence. Most of the black market trade happens in Mistral, a kingdom with a notoriously bad history of controlling its criminal element. They make sure to keep their activities in Atlas clean."

Winter sounded irritated. Not at him, but at the situation.

"Unfortunately, we have no authority to go into Mistral to investigate. We work for the Kingdom of Atlas, which means we can't interfere with the affairs of other kingdoms. They need to ask for our intervention, which Mistral won't for a variety of reasons, national pride and corruption not the least among them."

"That's stupid."

"Many things are. Unfortunately, it is the law. Make no mistake. One day, we will bring people like Whitechapel to justice. Even as the White Fang was attacking the _Argonaut_ and I was on a mission, there were people out there working tirelessly to gather evidence. The process may be slow, but it works. Atlas has taken great strides since its inception. Even attitudes towards faunus are much better now than they were ten years ago. Unfortunately, that is not fast enough for some."

"Like the White Fang?"

"Like the White Fang."

Jaune frowned. His hands clutched the bed sheets.

"It still doesn't feel right. I don't know. I feel bad about how things ended."

"Let me guess. You feel guilty about having saved people like that. You feel you have contributed to their crimes."

Jaune looked down, unwilling to meet her eyes. "I wasn't really thinking it that clearly, but maybe?"

"Cypress Mule. Marlene Runge. Sarga Ferko."

"Huh?'

"Cypress Mule runs a very successful charity dedicated to helping those who have lost their homes as a result of Grimm attacks. Runge has dedicated most of her life towards revitalizing Vacuo, something many consider a doomed endeavor. Still, she wants to return Vacuo to what it was before the three kingdoms ransacked the place. Ferko has a program to help doctors pay for their studies. In exchange, they agree to serve in areas outside the kingdoms where their services are desperately needed. Those people were all present in the _Argonaut_."

That was… Whoa.

"Contrary to the stereotype, not all rich people are morally bankrupt. Most are just boring. A few are actually quite pleasant to talk to. Even the ones who are boring have companies that provide goods and services for the people of Remnant." Winter frowned. "However, that shouldn't matter."

"What?"

"Jaune, we don't get to choose who we save based on a merit system. We protect people because that is the job. You didn't save good people and bad people. You saved people. You saw them in danger and acted. Don't you ever dare regret that or I'll make you ran laps until you drop."

Jaune found himself blinking a lot for some reason. The room was suddenly warm.

"Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

xXx

It was early in the morning when Saphron Arc opened the door of the Cotta-Arc household and got a big surprise. Standing on her doorstep, her little brother shyly waved at her.

"Jaune?"

"Hey, Saph."

Ten minutes later, five of which were spent in much hugging, Jaune was sitting at her table with a cup of hot cocoa in his hands. A content sigh escaped his lips.

"I missed this. Not even mom makes it like you do."

Saphron preened at the compliment. Jaune's attention was something all the Arc sisters fought over, so having him all to herself was nice.

"If you want more, you just have to visit more," she said. "Speaking of, how are you in Argus? It is not that I mind. I just wasn't expecting you."

"Eh, you know how I got that part-time job at Atlas Academy?" Jaune asked, sheepishly scratching the back of his head, a sign he was holding something back. Still, Saphron nodded. Jaune moving to Atlas because of that job had been all the family could talk about for months.

At first, they had expected him to come back home in a week. Then a week passed, and he hadn't. Then a month passed. Then two. Then more.

"Yeah, well, we were sent to visit the Argus base for… instruction? They used a fancy word for it. Anyway, figured I'd drop by and surprise you."

"Well, mission accomplished." Saphron leaned in to better look at him. "You look different."

"Really?" Jaune blinked in surprise. "I don't think I look any different."

"No, you are definitely different," Saphron said with undeniable certainty. Her finger poked his cheek. "You look… more grown-up. You could stand to gain a few more inches, though."

Jaune winced.

"You also look tired," Saphron pointed out with a frown.

"Well, I had to wake up pretty early today. Hey, where's Terra?"

"Terra is on her job, which you already knew. Don't try to change the subject," Saphron said, her lips pressed against each other. Her eyes never once left her brother.

Suddenly, it clicked.

"You were in the _Argonaut_ , weren't you?"

Jaune stared.

"How did you even…?"

"I'm your older sister. That's how!" As the initial shock faded, anger set in. "I can't believe this! My little brother in one of the biggest terrorist attacks ever! I knew that job was a bad idea! You shouldn't have been anywhere near something like that! It's too dangerous for you!"

"Why? Because I'm too weak to do anything by myself? Poor Jaune always needs to be protected by his sisters?"

Saphron was taken aback by Jaune's brusque tone.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. Do I really need to explain why I am worried about my little brother being caught up in a terrorist attack?"

"Is it because I was a premature birth?"

Saphron's eyes widened. For a moment, she forgot to breathe.

"Who told you?"

"Mandatory health check-up. The doctor had access to my medical files. He thought I already knew." Jaune set his cup down and chuckled. It wasn't a happy chuckle. "Is that it? Is that the reason why you all never wanted me to be a huntsman?"

Saphron's silence told the whole story.

"I can't believe you!" Jaune rose from his seat. "Were you ever planning on telling me or were you all just going to lead me on my whole life?"

"It wasn't like that!" Saphron stood up as well.

"Then how was it?!" Jaune fired, angrily pacing around the room. "Because the way I remember it, I was always the one who was treated differently. I was the one who was never allowed to go outside the house as a kid. I was the one mom and dad didn't train. I was the one who was always forgiven for coming up short. I didn't get it back then, but I do now. Poor frail Jaune can't do anything, so why expect anything from him!"

"It wasn't like that!" Saphron repeated, nearly yelling this time, her breathing heavy. She never imagined the day would go this way. "Look…let me explain. Please, let me explain. Please."

Jaune stayed silent. Saphron took that as her cue.

"Bri and I are the only ones who were old enough to understand what was going on back then. Mom was pregnant with you, and we were happy that we were going to have a little brother."

She grimaced.

"Then, it happened. A Grimm attack. Dad was away, so Mom fought them off, but she was wounded in the process. She had to be taken to the hospital right away. The doctors had to induce the birth or risk losing you. It was the scariest moment of our lives." Saphron rubbed her arms as she spoke, and Jaune couldn't help but feel guilty for making her relieve something like that. "You survived, but well…"

"Not in good shape," Jaune finished for her.

"Your body was not developed enough. You had to be placed in an incubator. One month, Jaune. You were there for an entire month... We didn't know if you would make it. Everyone was so scared. Even dad."

"But I did."

"You did." Saphron nodded, looking down. "But not unscathed. I'm not sure if you have noticed, but you were never quite like the other kids."

Always smaller than the others. Never quite as athletic. Never quite as strong.

At the time, Jaune thought he had drawn the short end of the stick. In a way, he had.

"Mom and dad were always more careful with you for that. The same goes for Bri and I, and the others, well, they might not remember it, but they grew up watching us treating you like that. We babied you a lot, but you have to understand why we did it."

"Why never tell me then?" Jaune threw his hands up. "When I said I wanted to be a huntsman, why not tell me then?"

"I guess... no one wanted to bring up bad memories," Saphron said, looking away, one arm pressed against her side and the other holding it by the elbow. "Mom and dad probably thought it was a passing fancy at first. Then as time passed, things just snowballed. It was wrong of us. I'll admit it. I guess, in a way, you always were that little baby in the incubator for us."

Jaune stayed silent. Since the moment Doctor Onyx had told him, he hadn't been sure what to think. He contemplated calling his parents to demand answers but hadn't been able to bring himself to do it.

Now that he was temporarily stationed at Argus, he found his footsteps leading him to Saphron's house. He hadn't planned on talking to her about it. It had just come out. Now, he had his answers and even an apology. However, he didn't feel any satisfaction.

He just felt tired.

"I… am not happy," he said at last, sitting down. "I can understand why you did it, but I'm not happy."

Saphron stayed silent.

"The doctor said I'm in good health. Healthy enough to be a huntsman if I put in some work."

"I'm glad," Saphron said. She started to move closer as if to lay a hand on his shoulder but stopped, hesitant. "That you can still pursue your dream, I mean. I guess we were so busy trying to keep you safe that we started making you feel miserable."

"I wouldn't go that far," Jaune said. Miserable was overstating it. "I mean, yeah, you kept something important from me, but you were also always there for me. Remember the thing with Ivy?"

"Oh, I remember." Hints of a smile appeared on Saphron's face. "I showed that little bitch not to mess with my bro." The smiled faded. In its place, there was an odd mix of sadness and joy. "But I guess you don't need your big sister to protect you anymore."

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean I don't need my big sister at all," Jaune said, shuffling awkwardly. "Actually, promise you can keep a secret?"

"Of course," Saphron said, eager to get Jaune's trust back.

"I'm IXA."

The look on Saphron's face was something Jaune would treasure for the rest of his life.

xXx

" _You failed."_

Sienna's voice came through his scroll. The image of her throne room was displayed with perfect clarity.

There were many excuses Adam could give. The military arrived much earlier than expected. IXA proved to be a stronger foe than anticipated. The loss of the control room and the actions of the Schnee heiress proved to be fatal blows to their plans.

However, Adam didn't believe in excuses.

"I take full responsibility for the failure. I underestimated the ship's defenses."

Sienna looked at him carefully.

" _Was Atlas' new weapon that much of a problem?"_

Adam nodded. "It has strong combat capabilities. Had the fight continued, I am certain I would have won. Regardless, it is far stronger than most of our men."

Sienna's frown showed she was not happy with his answer.

" _You bring me grave news. I want you to prepare a report on everything you have learned about IXA. I wanted our men to be ready for the next time they encounter it. In the meantime, you are to wait for further instructions."_

With that, the transmission ended, leaving Adam alone with his thoughts.

Why did he not tell Sienna about IXA's true identity?

Why did he not say there was a person hiding underneath that armor?

Adam could say that he'd rather give such sensitive information to Sienna in person. There was no telling whether their transmissions could be eavesdropped. However, such a thing would be a lie. Adam had absolutely no intention to let anyone know about what lied under IXA.

He could say it was for practical reasons. Robots were easy to predict. Robots were something the White Fang was used to. They were good for fighting mindless Grimm but came up short against thinking foes.

However, if the others learned that Atlas could potentially mass-produce people on par with huntsmen, the blow to the morale could be fatal. It was best to keep the rest of the White Fang believing they were merely fighting an advanced droid. Yes, Adam could say that was his reason for keeping the truth about IXA a secret.

However, that would also be a lie.

Adam brought a hand to his chest. The wounds he had sustained during his bout with IXA had already healed, yet he could still feel them burning under his skin. He wasn't sure how to articulate what he felt, but he did know that until he satisfied his own curiosity, Sienna didn't need to know.

Sometimes, Adam Taurus liked to be selfish.

xXx

Argus at night was beautiful.

Weiss Schnee looked at the many lights below from the safety of her balcony. As expected, there was a crowd of reporters in front of the hotel, but she paid them no mind.

After the whole debacle in the _Argonaut_ , Weiss had convinced her father she should stay in Argus. She had a concert in Mistral soon, so it was for the best. Weiss had a feeling the only reason why her father had agreed to her request was due to her performance during the attack. Thanks to her quick actions, quite a few people had been saved, something her father was already capitalizing on. Already she had a few interviews scheduled.

Weiss sighed and looked at her hand.

In it, there was a small flash drive.

It had been hard to pull off, but Weiss had successfully downloaded the video files containing Jaune's transformation and the first part of his fight with that redheaded faunus to a flash drive then permanently deleted them from the system.

In other words, the only evidence that could reveal Jaune's true identity was on the palm of her hand.

Slowly, ice crept over the flash drive, freezing it solid. Weiss let it fall from her hand, leaving it to shatter into pieces when it hit the floor.

There!

Let it never be said Weiss Schnee doesn't pay her debts.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **And that's it for Count the Medals. This has been the longest arc yet.**

 **The conversation between Jaune and Winter was the hardest part to write. There were just so many talking points I needed to go over. I ended up deciding to save some for later. Actually, I ended up deciding to save a lot of things for later. You have no idea.**

 **Cordovin appears but under different circumstances from canon. I got a kick out of using her in a non-antagonistic role.**

 **The first scene with Finn was originally planned to be the last scene of this chapter. I switched that early on. I know some people don't care much for OCs and probably skipped his and Ashton's parts, but I liked giving their mini-arc an ending. Also, no. Finn's wife is not a spy. She's just a regular faunus.**

 **Jaune having health issues as a kid that motivated his parents to overprotect him was something I first touched on over at The Jaune-Shots. I decided to revisit the idea here. You know that scene with Dr. Onyx in chapter 12? That's when this Jaune finds out.**

 **Anyway, that's all for now.**

 **Next time: Large Size!**


	18. Large Size! Part I

**Since this is something that shows up in reviews often enough, I'll make it clear.**

 **Yes, Jaune is short for his age. It is established in chapter 1, then mentioned in other chapters. Part of it was to set up the whole thing with Saphron last chapter. The other part is that I like the idea of Jaune being a late bloomer.**

 **Jaune will get his canon height in time. For now, he's short and 15.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

"You're saying that was my Semblance?"

"It is the most likely explanation."

Dr. Polendina gestured at a holographic display of IXA. He and Jaune were in his lab. There was a bar chart floating beside the display of IXA which showed Jaune's vitals and other things.

"These are your Aura levels right before being stabbed," Dr. Polendina said, jabbing his finger at one of the bars. "Slightly over 50%. More than enough to keep IXA operating at full capacity. Notice the strength of the reactor."

Dr. Polendina's finger moved up to point to the topmost bar.

"After you were foolishly stabbed because you lost control of your Aura in the middle of the fight..." A guilty look crossed Jaune's face. "This happened."

The bars changed. The topmost bar grew dramatically.

"It is curious." A hum left Dr. Polendina's lips. "The amount of Aura you had left didn't change. However, the Aura Reactor began working as if it were being fed a substantially larger amount of Aura. This forced IXA to change into Burst Mode. The reactor was receiving too much power and needed a way to burn it off, triggering the safety."

Dr. Polendina paused for a moment, allowing the information to sink in.

"Considering all other factors remained largely stable, I am forced to conclude your Aura suffered some sort of change. Indeed, from this point on, the rate at which your body consumes Aura increases by a sizable margin."

Jaune raised his hand like a student in a classroom. Dr. Polendina motioned for him to speak.

"Couldn't that be due to the reactor pumping out more power than before?"

Dr. Polendina shook his head.

"A logical conclusion yet incorrect. I took the Aura drained by the reactor into account when making my calculations. Even with that factor accounted for, the rate at which you were consuming Aura was off. Additionally, while this was happening, your Aura showed a remarkable increase in performance."

Jaune frowned. "So, is that my Semblance then? I make my Aura better?"

"In a manner of speaking. At this point, I merely have a theory, but I believe your Semblance allows you to amplify your Aura."

Jaune looked at the holographic display for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Dr. Polendina.

"Wouldn't that have made my Aura bigger?"

"No, you misunderstand what I mean by amplify. Your Semblance isn't increasing the size of your Aura. Rather, your Semblance seems to amplify the qualities of your Aura. Even though the amount of Aura you had left was the same, its effect upon your body was completely different. Speed. Strength. Durability. All of it was improved."

Jaune stared blankly.

Polendina sighed.

"Think of it this way," the scientist said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Think of your regular Aura as tap water. Can you do that?" Jaune nodded. "Good. Now, imagine that upon activating your Semblance, your Aura changed from simple tap water to fancy water harvested from some pure spring in the middle of nowhere that rich people buy for ungodly amounts of money. It's still water. The amount is still the same, but the quality has gone up."

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed," Polendina said dryly. "However, since it is the quality rather than the amount which has been amplified, your Semblance does not create an infinite loop. Instead, the rate at which you consume your Aura is increased. You're using Aura to keep your Semblance activated while also using it for all its normal combat functions. This means you burn through your Aura much faster than usual."

"Is that why I suffered Aura Burn?"

"You could say that," Polendina replied. "Except in rare cases, a person's body is naturally attuned to their Aura. This is why Aura Burn is so rare. It happens only due to extreme overuse of Aura. However, your body was not ready for such a dramatic increase in performance, resulting in you being bedridden for a few days."

The scientist paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, this is all just conjecture. I foresee we'll need further testing to be certain, and make no mistake, there will be tests. Until further notice, your Semblance will be our main priority."

Jaune's eyebrows rose in surprise. "It will?"

"Your Semblance allowed IXA to fight in Burst Mode. I thought it would take months before such a thing was possible. Instead, the data gathered from your fight with Taurus will greatly speed up my research. You _will_ learn to use that Semblance of yours, boy."

Jaune laughed nervously. Dr. Polendina's intense gaze was always a bit unnerving. "That's… cool, yeah. How do we do it?"

"Well, in some cases, people instinctively grasp how to use their Semblance after discovering it. I don't suppose that is the case with you?"

Jaune shrugged.

Dr. Polendina clicked his tongue. "Figures. Luckily, there's another way. Since your Semblance awakened in a high-stress situation, putting you in another one may yield some results. Specialist Schnee was most eager to volunteer for this."

xXx

"Dodge!"

Winter's sword missed Jaune's face by millimeters. The blond back stepped as Winter pressed on with a series of quick thrusts aimed at his torso. Usually, he'd have tried to parry her blows with his blade, but, well…

Winter felt it would be best for him to fight without a weapon this time.

It wasn't punishment.

It was training. Not having a weapon would make Jaune feel more pressured. Besides, IXA did not have a weapon yet, so it was better if they focused on unarmed combat for now. When looked at from that perspective, Winter was doing him a favor. Really, she should have done this from the start.

Winter's eyes narrowed as Jaune almost tripped.

"Don't lose focus! Keep a closer eye on your surroundings!"

"I'm trying!"

"Do not talk in the middle of a battle!"

Jaune dropped to the floor to dodge one of her slices. He rolled out of the way and got back to his feet, his breathing heavy.

"Are you... are you angry?"

"Why would be I angry?" Winter replied as she kept up her methodical attacks. "Because you allowed a terrorist to get inside your head and dropped your Aura during a crucial moment? A mistake that would have most certainly killed you if your Semblance hadn't activated? Do you think I am angry about that?"

Foolishness.

Winter had been worried when she had received the news, and she had been relieved upon visiting Jaune and seeing that he was in good health. That was all there was to it. She had handled the situation with the proper poise for someone of her station.

It wasn't as if, once her initial relief had faded, outrage and indignation had surged.

Winter certainly hadn't spent five hours going over the footage recorded by IXA, dissecting every second of it and writing down every single flaw Jaune had made during that fight so she could literally beat them out of him. She definitely hadn't then done her best to dissect Taurus' fighting style, so that she would be able to treat him with the same kindness he had shown her student.

Such actions would be far too emotional for a Schnee. It would be unseemingly if she were taking out her frustrations on Jaune right now.

"Can't we... can't we at least take a break?"

"No breaks. Keep fighting."

Yes, Winter was most definitely not doing that.

One hour later, Jaune was on the ground, drenched in his own seat, his chest rising and falling with every breath.

"Acceptable," Winter said, lowering the zipper of her jacket. She had chosen against wearing her Specialist uniform that day, preferring to wear her military-issued workout clothes. A pair of dark gray jogging pants and a jacket with a simple gray shirt underneath it. She shrugged off the jacket and neatly folded it.

While Winter was still holding back, Jaune had gotten good enough to make her work up a light sweat. That she had been more… enthusiastic than usual may have something to do with it.

"It is good to know you haven't dulled much from being confined to bed," Winter said while setting down her jacket and picking a bottle of water.

"Thanks," Jaune said between pants. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position. Winter threw a bottle at him, which he caught after fumbling for a while. He was tired. That much was obvious. His face was red, and he couldn't muster the energy to keep his gaze up. "But I didn't activate my Semblance."

Winter would have snorted if she didn't consider the act beneath her.

"If learning how to use your Semblance were so easy, everyone would have one."

"Shouldn't it come naturally?" Jaune asked. "I mean, it's part of my soul or something, right?"

A common misconception. Winter shook her head.

"Many people think that way, but they are wrong. Having your Aura unlocked doesn't mean you will discover your Semblance. While the public seems to think all huntsmen have a Semblance, the truth is many go their entire lives without it."

Some looked down on such people. Winter found such behavior ridiculous. In the end, a Semblance was just another tool. Not having it did not make one worthless in combat. Constant training and determination went a long way.

"Aren't there plenty of cases of people suddenly discovering their Semblances? You see that stuff on the news all the time."

Winter knew what he was talking about. It happened every now and then. A village under attack by Grimm was saved because one of the villagers discovered their Semblance and helped fight them back. The kingdoms liked to popularize that type of stories. They were uplifting, which was what the people needed to hear.

"Outliers exists. Some people will immediately unlock their Aura and Semblance without having any prior training. They don't even need to be under extreme circumstances for this to happen," Winter added much to Jaune's surprise. "My grandfather unlocked both his Aura and Semblance while trying to reach for ice cream."

Winter smiled softly. That was a story he never got tired of telling. A shame Weiss never got hear it.

"However," Winter added. "You must not mistake this for any sort of innate superiority. People who spontaneously unlock their Semblances have not been shown to possess greater potential compared to those who didn't. I can safely say it took me much training to be able to use my Semblance."

Jaune hummed in thought. "So then, why do some people discover their Semblances randomly and some don't?"

A good question, but not one with a satisfactory answer.

"Unfortunately, there is much we still don't know about Aura. For example, the Schnee Family possesses a hereditary Semblance. To this day, no one knows why that is."

The theories on that particular oddity ranged from her family having won the genetic lottery to one of her ancestors having made a deal with the devil, the latter was usually spouted by unhappy employees.

Jaune frowned in thought. "In that case, what should I do to use my Semblance again?"

Winter's lips thinned. There was unfortunately very little in the way of instruction she could give him. Weiss had been easy to tutor because they both shared the Schnee Family Semblance. Winter knew what worked and what didn't. However, there was no point of commonality between hers and Arc's Semblance.

She could try giving him the standard tips on meditation, but those wouldn't do any good. That only left a few choices.

"One method that could help you is to focus on the way you were feeling during the moment you awakened your Semblance." The way Jaune flinched was wholly expected. No one liked to remember the time they almost died.

"Failing that…" Winter drew her sword. "Stand up. We'll continue sparring until you use your Semblance again."

Jaune groaned in protest. In spite of that, he stood up.

Just as Winter knew he would.

xXx

"Saphron!"

His sister's laughter came loud and clear through his scroll.

 _"Oh, come on! I'm your older sister. I have to ask embarrassing questions. It's the job."_

Jaune grumbled something under his breath. It was late at night. His training for the day was over, and he was back at his apartment. He had taken a quick shower before changing into his onesie. It was nice, warm, and comfortable, perfect for a good night's sleep.

"Do we really need to talk about this? Can't you just ask me about all the secret stuff I'm not supposed to tell you about instead?"

 _"Already did that back when you dropped that bomb on me,"_ came Saphron's reply. _"You said and I quote, 'I can't tell you about hush-hush stuff, so don't even bother asking.'"_

Foiled by his own words. As usual.

Stupid hush-hush stuff.

 _"So yeah, I think I'll stick to my earlier question."_ Saphron's face grew on the screen as she leaned closer. _"Come on, little brother, you can't tell me you haven't met any girls! You work at a Huntsman Academy! Lots of girls in school uniforms for you to talk to!"_

"Allegedly," Jaune correctly, raising a finger. "I allegedly work at a huntsman academy."

His actual work took place about a hundred feet below it.

"Besides, even if I did, it's not like I have much time to make friends."

"I"m serious," Jaune added when he saw Saphron's dubious gaze. "I start working early in the morning. By the time I'm done, it's already evening."

During the first month or so, Jaune barely had enough energy to make his way back to his apartment after he was done with all the training and tests. Sometimes, he couldn't even muster the energy to crawl into his bed and ended up falling asleep over the covers. Not so much nowadays. He had enough stamina to last the entire day and even watch a couple of hours of TV or play a few scroll games before going to sleep.

 _"I'm not convinced. There has to be at least one girl there."_

Technically, there was Penny, but they usually just played games over the CCTnet. Beyond that, most of the people around him were either male or too far apart in age. Even Winter was-

 _"Aha! You're blushing! I knew it!"_ Saphron's finger pointed triumphantly at the screen. _"I knew it! Come on, spill!"_

"It's nothing!" Jaune replied quickly. Too quickly. The sudden negative was all it took for suspicion to turn into fact in Saphron' mind.

 _"That blush doesn't look like nothing~!"_ Saphron said in a sing-song tone. Jaune glared at her, but it came out more like a pout.

Stupid Saphron. It was her fault. He wouldn't even have thought about Winter if it wasn't for her.

The images of that afternoon made Jaune's blush grow in intensity. Winter was beautiful. Jaune had known that from day one, but seeing her in those workout clothes had been something else. Her body covered by a light sheen of sweat, that shirt clinging to her upper body, perfectly displaying her curves, her white hair slowly breaking free from that tight bun.

That had just not been fair.

"It's not like…" Jaune sighed. "She's older, okay?"

 _"Ah, an older woman."_ Saphron nodded sympathetically. _"Been there. Ms. Mint during my freshman year. That woman gave me a glasses fetish."_

"I did not need to know that," Jaune said even as his mind unhelpfully reminded him that Terra had stopped wearing contacts shortly before she started dating his sister.

 _"How much older is she?"_

"I don't know. Five years, maybe?" He had never asked. You never asked a woman about her age. His father had made sure he knew that much. "She's my superior officer."

Who trained him and helped him get better. Who was strong and brave, and well… cool.

Maybe he was attracted to Winter, but he wasn't about to act on it. No way. If Winter were his age, then maybe he'd muster the courage to try a pickup line on her. However, she wasn't. She was his superior officer, and that made it… daunting.

 _"Hm, five years is not much,"_ Saphron said, humming thought. _"Don't get me wrong. You're too young to be in a relationship with a woman in her twenties. You'll also probably make a fool of yourself trying to flirt with her"_

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, sis."

Sure, he had been thinking along the same lines, but she didn't have to say it!

 _"I'm speaking from experience here. I don't want you making my mistakes,"_ Saphron replied, which mollified Jaune a bit. _"I'm just saying that in a couple of years, five years won't seem like much."_

As if Winter wouldn't have a boyfriend in five years. She probably had lots of options available to her.

 _"And hey, you're turning sixteen soon. That makes it better. Slightly"_

"Can we talk about something else? Please?"

 _"Well, we can talk about your upcoming birthday,"_ Saphron said, drawing out the words. _"I take it you're not going home for it."_

"I… hadn't really thought about that."

Sure, he had noticed his birthday was coming up, but with everything going on, he had been too busy to plan anything.

 _"Can you… can you at least consider calling mom and dad?"_ Saphron asked. _"I know you're angry, and you have a right to be. I am just saying it would really mean a lot for them to hear from you."_

Jaune shifted uncomfortably on his bed.

It wasn't as if he had meant to ignore his parents. He had been busy at first, so he kept missing their calls. Then, over time, communicating over text messages had become the norm for them. He'd hear their voice messages and write something short to them, assuring them he was fine before going to sleep.

He was going to turn sixteen in a few weeks.

Had it been that long since he heard his parents' voices?

"I'll think about it."

 _"That's all I ask."_

The conversation shifted to lighter topics after that. Saphron mentioned the possibility of her coming to visit him. Jaune hoped she'd find the time to do so. By the time the call ended, Jaune was ready to get some sleep.

His scroll rang. Jaune thought it was Penny at first, but his eyebrows rose when he noticed the Called ID.

 _"What on Remnant are you wearing?"_ Weiss Schnee asked as soon as her face appeared on the screen.

"It's a onesie. It's nice, comfortable, and when I sleep in it, it makes me feel like I'm flying," Jaune replied without a hint of shame.

 _"It's atrocious."_

Jaune looked at his onesie. Atrocious? Surely, not. His onesie was the coolest.

Yeah, it was totally the coolest.

"Maybe you just have bad taste."

 _"B-Bad taste! You…"_ Weiss took a deep breath. _"No, I will not allow you to goad me. I did not call to join in your foolishness."_

Jaune had been wondering about that. While they had exchanged numbers during the whole business in the Argonaut, Weiss didn't strike him as the type to make social calls.

 _"I have called to lend my assistance,"_ Weiss said, placing a hand on her chest. She spoke in a tone she probably thought sounded magnanimous. _"As someone who is far more used to the burdens of fame, I thought it fitting to offer you my guidance in these trying times."_

Jaune stared blankly at her.

"Weiss, what are you talking about?"

It was Weiss' turn to stare.

 _"You don't know,"_ she concluded, her voice flat. _"How could you possibly not know? I understand you must have been busy recovering, but have you not watched the news even once?"_

He hadn't actually. While recovering, Jaune had chosen to watch cartoons instead.

"That's not important," Jaune said, blushing. "What did I miss?"

Weiss sighed.

 _"Well, for starters, you have a fan club."_

"I have a what?!"

xXx

A fan club. An action figure (With Kung-Fu Grip). A lunchbox. A clothing line.

Jacques certainly hadn't wasted time.

James Ironwood put a hand on his forehead as he stared at the pile of documents on his desk. The sight wasn't anything unusual. If anything, it was a sadly common state of affairs. However, the subject matter was definitely new.

IXA.

Ever since the attack on the _Argonaut_ , IXA had been all over the news. While Ironwood understood it was natural for the press to focus on the victory over the White Fang, he also knew there was something more behind this sudden attention from the media.

Jacques Schnee.

During the negotiations for IXA to be displayed on the _Argonaut_ , Ironwood had given certain franchise rights to the SDC, knowing that such things would quell the older man's worries about Atlas potentially making manufacturing deals with other companies.

Due to the White Fang's attack, the SDC had lost money, but Jacques Schnee had always been good at making it. IXA was the word on everyone's lips, and Jacques was making sure to capitalize on that. In a matter of weeks, the market had suddenly become full of IXA-based products.

There was even talk of an animated series.

Ironwood sighed. The ways of businessmen were forever tiring. However, that wasn't the worst of it. With IXA's popularity overflowing, there were now endless requests for IXA to appear in events. Some people wanted to hire the robot as security. Others just wanted to have a look at it. Even some of the teachers working for him had shown up at his office, asking if they could have IXA spar with the students.

It was insane, and unfortunately, Ironwood couldn't turn down all the requests. IXA becoming popular had always been part of the plan. He just hadn't counted on it happening so soon. Regardless, he couldn't let the opportunity go to waste. IXA needed to remain in the public eye.

After almost two hours of deliberation, Ironwood grabbed one of the requests and stamped his seal on it.

xXx

Merlot hummed a little tune as he went about his work. Behind him, there were several screens, each one showing a different news outlet. As usual, it seemed that IXA was all anyone could talk about. Certainly, there was a hand manipulating that focus, but it wasn't all that.

People were genuinely interested in Atlas' latest creation, the "android."

Merlot's lips quirked up. How long did Ironwood think that lie would last?

Oh well, it wasn't as if IXA's popularity would decrease if the truth were to be revealed. It would be yet another proof of the ingenuity of humanity. People tended to love such things.

A pity. Humans had a tendency to be entirely too proud of their efforts. It made them blind to the beauty of the world around them.

A low rumbling sound echoed through the room.

"Patience, my child," he said to the creature dormant behind the glass, a magnificent specimen he had been growing for quite some time now.

If the rest of the world saw it, they'd call it a monster.

That was the problem with humans, faunus as well. The world only saw nightmares, mangled and deformed. They couldn't see beyond short-term self-preservation. They feared the Grimm because the Grimm had been their enemy since time immemorial.

Not him, though.

He saw beauty. He saw promise.

The world didn't understand. It refused to do so. They did not see the possibilities. The power. The potential. No. Of course, they didn't.

It would be up to him to show them. The Grimm were part of nature, and sometimes, nature needed a guiding hand.

His hand.

"Your time will come soon."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **I kept shaving stuff I didn't like from this chapter. Before I knew it, it had become pretty short.**

 **Before anyone asks, Jaune having a crush on Winter does not mean this fic is Jaune/Winter (What's the ship name for that? Winter Knight?). It means Jaune is a teenager, and he finds Winter physically attractive on top of her having traits he finds admirable. Will that go somewhere? No idea.**

 **Anyway, a new arc starts. This chapter was mostly dedicated to establishing some things about Semblances and letting you guys know how Jaune's Semblance is going to work in this fic. It amplifies the qualities of his Aura, but not the amount. Like making a knife really sharp instead of turning it into a sword. At least, that's what happens when he uses it on himself.**

 **Also, IXA has a fanclub!**

 **And some Merlot stuff. He's still a thing.**

 **Till next time!**


	19. Large Size! Part II

**So sleepy. Need rest.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

"A field trip?"

Jaune Arc stood in front of General Ironwood's imposing desk, his shoulders squared and back straight. He had been summoned to the general's office that morning to receive his next mission.

It wasn't quite what Jaune was expecting.

"In a manner of speaking," Ironwood replied, his hands steepled over his desk. "Combat schools usually have their students start fighting Grimm during their last two years. This all happens under controlled circumstances. The area is scouted ahead of time to make sure the Grimm there aren't too strong, and the teachers will be keeping watch the entire time. All in all, it is a fairly safe endeavor."

Jaune nodded as he absorbed the information. In a way, it wasn't too dissimilar from his own first encounter with Grimm. He had gone to a previously scouted area where he should have fought low-level Grimm. Winter had been with him in case things went wrong, which they had. Things had gone very wrong.

However, he doubted something like that would repeat itself.

"Wait," Jaune said, as a question popped into his mind. "Combat school students only start fighting Grimm two years before graduating? That doesn't seem… much."

If anything, it seemed way too little. It meant they'd only have two years of experience against Grimm by the time they applied to one of the four academies.

"It doesn't seem much because it isn't much, but consider this: How many families do you think would be willing to let their twelve to fourteen-year-olds fight Grimm?"

"Oh."

"Indeed." Ironwood nodded, seeing the look on Jaune's face. "Ideally, it would be better if combat schools offered more in the way of practical experience against the creatures of Grimm. However, there is only so much that can be done. Huntsmen families like yours are a minority. Even in Atlas, most families are comprised of civilians who naturally balk at the prospect of their children facing Grimm while so young. These concerns are completely understandable and not at all unfounded. Thus, the curriculum must be adapted to address them."

General Ironwood's words made sense. Even in Jaune's family, things weren't quite so simple. His parents were huntsmen, but they hadn't exactly been keen on him following their footsteps. While his sisters had received training, his parents hadn't been sad or disappointed when Saphron told them she didn't want to be a huntress. If anything, they had seemed relieved to hear it.

It was almost funny. Jaune had never gone to combat school, yet he already knew what it was like to fight Grimm. The slight feeling of superiority that came with that knowledge was not something Jaune was used to.

"Outside the kingdoms, it is a different story," Ironwood continued. "There, even young children end up having to fight Grimm. However, inside the kingdoms, certain standards must be kept. This holds particularly true for school likes Pleiades, Hyades, and Hesperides."

The top three combat schools of Atlas. It was said that about 80% of the students of Atlas Academy came from those three schools. Many students applied each year, but few entered. The three schools had stringent admission standards, something Jaune knew for a fact.

After all, he had tried and failed to get into Hyades.

"You have to understand that not everyone who goes to combat school intends on becoming a huntsman. Pleiades, Hyades, and Hesperides don't just teach combat. Their educational programs are among the best in the kingdom."

"I guess I never thought about stuff like that, sir," Jaune admitted, a thoughtful look on his face. "I thought everyone who went to combat school did it because they wanted to be huntsmen."

"If that were the case, the world would have many more huntsmen to call upon," Ironwood pointed out. "Reality is not so kind, I am afraid. Did you know some people graduate from huntsman academy without any intention of becoming huntsmen?"

"What?!"

Jaune couldn't stop himself from raising his voice. Luckily, Ironwood didn't seem to mind. The man chuckled.

"I understand how unconventional it must seem to you, but being able to say you have graduated from a huntsmen academy opens quite a few doors. It is not something many can put on their resume."

Put on their resume?

 _Put on their resume!_

Jaune stood stock-still, stunned by Ironwood's words.

Becoming a huntsman is all Jaune has ever wanted. He went through a lot of hardships just trying to enter combat school. Time and time again, he was rejected. If it hadn't been for the IXA Project, he'd still be running around trying to find a way to get his foot in the door.

Or worse, he may have given up already.

The idea of there being people out there who had graduated from Atlas Academy just for the notoriety of it offended Jaune in a way he hadn't realized he could be offended.

"But I digress. We have strayed too far from the subject. Pleiades Academy will take a group of its students to their first combat practice against Grimm. Since there are several important persons among the student body, the security around the area will be more than adequate. IXA's presence is not truly necessary."

Then why was he being sent there?

Ironwood answered the question before Jaune could voice it.

"IXA is being sent there purely for publicity purposes. After the Grimm are exterminated, there will be a photo op. It may not seem as crucial as fighting the White Fang, but things like these are also an important part of the job. News of IXA helping protect the next generation of huntsmen will help keep the kingdom's morale up. Do you understand, Arc?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good." Ironwood nodded, pleased. "Now, do you think you'll have any trouble performing this mission?"

"Sir?"

"Your records show you consistently failed to gain admission into combat school. This mission will put you in close proximity to those who succeeded where you failed. I am asking if that will cause you to experience any feelings of resentment towards the people you are supposed to guard."

Ironwood's bluntly delivered words cause Jaune to wince. Was that why Ironwood went into so much detail about the way combat school students see their prospects? So he wouldn't be shocked if he happened to hear them talking like that?

That was... kind of considerate, actually.

"Sir, it is true that I felt pretty bad whenever I got a rejection letter," Jaune admitted before his face settled into a determined expression. "But that doesn't matter. Maybe if I had nothing, I'd feel jealous of them, but that's not the case anymore."

He had IXA now.

By entering the IXA Project, Jaune was closer to his dream than ever before. By entering the IXA project, Jaune had met Winter, Red and Blue, Penny, Dr. Polendina, Dr. Onyx. Even Weiss.

It felt like his world had been growing bit by bit ever since the day he accepted General Ironwood's offer, and Jaune could honestly say he wouldn't have it any other way

"I promise I'll do my best on the mission, sir!"

Ironwood smiled.

"That's what I like to hear, soldier."

Besides, how bad could kids his age be?

xXx

"They are the absolute worst!"

Jaune laughed nervously. He had just been trying to start a conversation while he and Dr. Onyx went through his pre-mission check-up. Dr. Onyx was usually a calm person, so this reaction was the last thing Jaune had been expecting out of the man.

"Isn't that a little too harsh?"

"Not at all," the faunus doctor said, shaking his head. "The only reason teenagers aren't the worst thing on Remnant is that the Grimm exist."

Jaune pointed to himself. "I am a teenager."

"And due to my Hippocratic Oath, I am willing to look past that," Dr. Onyx replied without missing a beat. His fingers typed at the keyboard before moving on to the next test. Drones floated around Jaune, taking his vitals.

"I am not merely stating an opinion. This is a non-negotiable, scientifically proven fact," the doctor continued in a tone of voice that would have better suited Dr. Polendina. "Teenagers are creatures that desperately seek independence, yet the teenage years are those in which the brain is least-suited for making important choices. Instead of a nicely developed frontal lobe, teenagers have hormones, puberty, and narcissistic levels of self-importance. Do you understand what a dangerous combination that is? Consider yourself, for example."

"Me!? What did I do?"

"You signed up for a secret government program on the vague chance of becoming a huntsman and have since almost died more than once. Despite that, you have shown no signs of wanting to change course."

Jaune shuffled awkwardly in place.

When he put it that way...

"And yet, you might just be one of the most well-behaved teenagers I have met," Dr. Onyx said, an amused look on his face. "Certainly better than I was at your age. I caused a lot of trouble for my family. It's embarrassing just to remember it."

Jaune hid a wince at the mention of family. Dr. Onyx didn't seem to notice, too busy with his work.

"Anyway, trust me when I say you're in for a hard time. Regular teenagers are already horrible, but you're going to be dealing with students from one of Atlas' top academies. Pleiades' students mostly come from the upper districts. In other words, they're mostly rich kids, rich kids with combat training."

Jaune bit his lip. "And that's a problem?"

"It very much is. They aren't the sort who fantasize about buying the latest sports car. Instead, they buy it and take it out for a joy ride. If they get into trouble, their parents will shield them from it, meaning they don't have much of an incentive to learn from their mistakes. This is further compounded by their combat training. Trust me, it's a recipe for disaster."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Jaune couldn't help but point out. There was too much emotion in Dr. Onyx's voice for it to be anything else.

"I went to school in the lower districts, but there was a group of Hesperides students who came down every now and then." Dr. Onyx clicked his tongue, a dark look crossed his face. "They used to throw money around to see what they could make us do."

Jaune frowned. "Make you do?"

"They'd do things like offer a hundred lien to whoever was willing to eat something from the floor or stand upside down or run through the streets naked. Whatever they thought was funny that particular day," Dr. Onyx explained. "I had a bit too much pride for that, but not everyone did."

"Those guys sound like jerks!"

"They were. I'm not telling you everyone in this field trip of yours is going to be like that, but some people will. That could be hard for you since you aren't going to be wearing that suit all the time."

It was true. While they were transported to the combat zone, Jaune would be posing as one of the mechanics working on IXA. Just as he'd done for the _Argonaut_.

"Since you'll be posing as a mechanic, you can bet they'll look down on you. People tend to show their worst side to those they think are below them. Trust me on that. You better hope they just ignore you. If not..."

"I'll try not to let it get to me," Jaune promised. Between General Ironwood and now Dr. Onyx, Jaune was starting to get worried about this mission.

"Good. Never let them see you sweat," the doctor said as he finished typing. "You seem to be in good health. No after-effects from your little episode of Aura Burn. I do recommend taking some headaches pills for your mission, though."

Of course, he did.

"You're free to go. Try not to get hurt this time."

"Will do," Jaune promised. He began heading for the door but stopped, his hand frozen on the door frame. Slowly, Jaune turned back, hesitant. "Doctor Onyx, can I ask you a question?"

Dr. Onyx, who had already gone back to looking at his terminal, looked up. "Fire away."

"What… what do you think about the White Fang?"

Dr. Onyx stayed silent for a moment, his lips pressed together. "Are you asking because I'm a faunus?"

"No!" Jaune yelled, his hands waving in front of him. "I mean, yes, but… It's just… I…"

Jaune forced himself to stop. He took a deep breath.

"The guy I fought in the _Argonaut_ , Adam Taurus, he said a lot of things. Winter talked to me, but…"

He had kept thinking, and thinking had led to action. Jaune had looked up stuff online, trying to understand what everything was about. What he found had been…

A lot.

There were multiple essays on faunus rights floating around, videos of faunus being violent, forums for humans who hated faunus, and forums for faunus who hated humans. It had been way too much information for someone as new to the issue as Jaune.

"I came from Mantle," Jaune told Dr. Onyx. "Things between humans and faunus are pretty alright there."

A consequence of the Great War and the subsequent founding of Atlas. It had created the right circumstances for the human and faunus populations of Mantle to cooperate. While it had been out of necessity, the bond that had formed between the communities there could not be denied.

"I hear it's worse in the mines that surround the city, but I've never gone there."

His parents had said it was better if he didn't go to places like that. While Jaune now understood why they had tried so hard to keep him safe, he couldn't help but resent his sheltered upbringing a little.

"That's why I thought it would help me understand things a little better if I asked a faunus. Is that insensitive? It is, isn't it?" Jaune looked away, hands clenched into fists. "I'll just let myself out and-"

"Sit down, kid." Dr. Onyx sighed. He waited until Jaune had taken a seat to continue. "Have you ever wondered how a faunus got enough money to pay for medical school?"

"Not really," Jaune admitted. "Should I have?"

"It should have been one of the first things to come to your mind. Medical school is not cheap, and it's not like there are many rich faunus out there. Most of us are on the lower end of middle class. We don't earn much, and that affects our opportunities in life… and the opportunities we can give our children."

It was something Jaune never had to think about. His parents had eight children, yet they never had to worry about money. Being a huntsman paid well, and the Arc family had accumulated a moderate amount of wealth over the generations.

"That is the reason why so many faunus end up working in the mines. Contrary to what many will tell you, the SDC pays well. Mining jobs offer quite a bit of hazard pay, and you don't need a fancy degree to get them. For many faunus, mining jobs are the best alternative for giving their kids a better life than the one they had."

"Is that what your family did, doctor?" Jaune asked with no small amount of hesitation. This was a sensitive topic, after all. "Work at mines?"

"No." Dr. Onyx chuckled at Jaune's surprised expression. "My father is a cautious man. The mines are dangerous places, and he didn't want to burden the family in the event of an accident. He chose a different career path from most faunus. He joined the military."

Jaune stared.

The full implication of that statement was not lost on him. If his father had been part of the military when Dr. Onyx had been a kid, then that meant that…

"Yes, he joined just in time for the Faunus Rights Revolution." Dr. Onyx chuckled as he ran a hand through his pale hair. "He was never deployed to Mistral, but he was part of the army through those years and beyond. Talk about bad timing, huh?."

A faunus joining the army just in time for Atlas to become involved in the Faunus Rights Revolution. Awkward didn't begin to cover it. Jaune couldn't begin to imagine how the man had managed to stay in the army all those years.

"As you can imagine, the choice was not a popular one. His fellow soldiers weren't exactly feeling all that friendly towards the faunus. The revolution might have taken place in Mistral, but there was a lot of fear going around back then. People were afraid of a faunus uprising in Atlas. Having my father in the army was like having a potential enemy in their midst. You can bet they did everything in their power to try to make my father quit. Then there the faunus."

"The faunus?" Jaune blinked. "Shouldn't they have supported him?"

Dr. Onyx laughed and shook his head, his long horns somehow managing to not bump into anything. "Picture this. Your brethren are fighting against human oppression in another continent. Then one day, troops from your own kingdom are sent to help out the kingdom that is suppressing your fellow faunus. How do you think the faunus felt?"

"I guess they weren't happy with the military," Jaune said, remembering Red and Blue had told him a bit about this.

"Damn right, they weren't happy. As far as the faunus community was concerned, my father had signed up with the enemy. To them, he was nothing more than a traitor. He got called all sorts of names. Kept faunus. Pet. Traitor. Herbivore."

"Herbivore?"

"A faunus insult," Dr. Onyx explained. "My father is a wolf faunus, a carnivore. Saying he prefers vegetables over meat, well, it implies all sorts of things. None of them good."

Jaune made a mental note of that for future interactions with faunus.

"One time, we woke up to find someone had spray-painted our house, and trust me, it wasn't the humans who did it. Those were hard days for our family, and I didn't exactly make them any easier," Dr. Onyx admitted, his gaze distant as if lost in his memories.

"My mother always supported my father, but I allowed the resentment the community felt towards him to get to me. I said lots of things I shouldn't have." A tired sigh left his lips. He shrugged. "Like I said, teenagers are stupid. Still, my father never let all that pressure get to him. He did his job and ignored all the people trying to bring him down. Humans or faunus. Didn't matter. He did what he did for one reason. Putting food on the table and paying for my education. Atlas isn't perfect, but it takes care of its soldiers and their families. There are lots of scholarships out there for military kids."

"And that's how you were able to pay for medical school?"

Dr. Onyx nodded. "It's not a bad deal, but unfortunately, there's lots of stigma in faunus communities about joining the army. Even without it, not everyone is in a hurry to sign up to fight Grimm. I cannot say for sure whether those who choose the mines over the army are entirely wrong. I just know I got my degree thanks to my father. General Ironwood recruited me shortly after graduating, and well, the rest is history."

"And your father? Is he okay?" Jaune asked. Dr. Onyx smiled.

"Dad's retired now. With benefits. I visit my parents every week. I was planning on sending them on a cruise for their anniversary, but recent events have shown me that might not be the safest thing. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I told you all this first, right?"

He kind of was.

"I told you this, so you could understand where I'm coming from," Dr. Onyx said as his face grew serious. "The White Fang will tell you faunus need to rise up. That violence is the only way for faunus to get anywhere in life. I think that's a pile of crap. My father managed to claw his way up, fair and square. He earned the respect of his squadmates the hard way. Some still visit him to this day. I'm not going to tell you everything is hunky-dory between humans and faunus, but I will say that we can succeed in this world and make things better."

Dr. Onyx pressed his hands together.

"But then the White Fang shows up. Anytime they act out, the people who were on the fence about us, suddenly have less of a reason to give us the benefit of the doubt. Meanwhile, all the bigots can point and say, 'Look at those filthy faunus. I knew they were no good.' Emboldened by their sense of righteousness, they become more open about their prejudice, which leads the White Fang to escalate, and the process repeats itself. And you know who is more likely to be lured by the White Fang's promises?"

The answer came to Jaune right away. "Teenagers."

"Exactly. Dumb. Stupid. Teenagers. People who lack the necessary judgment to make anything resembling an important choice. They eat up all the stuff the White Fang is saying. Lured by promises of power, they join, and before they know it, they're in jail for stealing Dust or burning down stores. That's what all that talk of revolution gets them."

Dr. Onyx sounds almost resigned to this fact.

"You asked me how I feel about the White Fang as a faunus? I hate them. With all my heart."

xXx

Pleiades Academy was as Weiss had left it.

"Miss Schnee, it is so great to see you."

"Wonderful concert last week, Miss Schnee. My father got us balcony seats."

"It is so good to see you, Miss Schnee. It would please us if you accompanied us for tea next Thursday."

Weiss replied to the greetings on automatic, barely paying attention to the people who desperately sought to talk to her.

It was always the same.

There was a reason why Weiss was barely present at the school. Dealing with sycophants was not something she cared for. That wasn't to say Weiss neglected her studies in any way. Perish the thought. Weiss was at the top of her year by a wide margin. She was the best, and everyone knew it.

Due to her singing career and her status as a Schnee, the school understood she sometimes needed to be absent, and Weiss may have taken advantage of this more than was strictly necessary. If she could be at the top of her class while also not having to deal with her annoying classmates, why not do so?

Her father, of course, thought differently. Mingle, the man had said. Make beneficial relationships.

Weiss didn't see any point to it. Her classmates were shallow and uninteresting. The girls hung on to her every word. The guys tried to get closer to her just for her last name. There was nothing more to them. Her father may be the head of the SDC, but on this, he was clearly mistaken.

How could she possibly gain anything from being closer to people like them?

"Weissy!"

The voice was loud, shrill, and echoed through the halls of the esteemed institution. Immediately upon hearing it, Weiss' expression changed from stoic to annoyed.

"Neon."

The girl blurred into view the moment Weiss said her name, her body propelled by a rainbow before coming to a stop in front of her.

Neon was a green-eyed girl with a slim build. Her skin was light, and her hair was a dark shade of pink. She wore the standard black uniform of Pleiades Academy, but her skirt was an inch or so shorter than everyone else's. The number of accessories the girl was wearing was definitely not according to code, though thankfully, she wasn't wearing roller skates this time.

She had a tail.

"Weissy!" Neon repeated, going for a hug. A black glyph appeared between the two, repelling her.

"We are not allowed to be loud in the hallways."

"Come on, Weissy-"

Weiss' eye twitched. "That's not my name."

"Don't be such a square. Here I came to greet you the moment I heard you had finally shown your face around here."

Why?

That was what Weiss wanted to know. It wasn't as if the girl and she were friends. At best, they qualified as acquaintances.

Neon was a faunus, born and raised in the lower districts. Her parents were miners that worked in one of the SDC's mines. Usually, someone like Neon would never be qualified to enter a place like Pleiades Academy. Putting skill and knowledge aside, the tuition was simply too expensive for most families. A working-class family would never be able to afford it.

However, working for the SDC was not without its benefits. The company gave scholarships to the children of some of its employees. Those who distinguished themselves with hard work.

Neon was the proud recipient of the Nicholas Schnee Scholarship.

The original idea had come from Weiss' grandfather, but now her father used it as a simple PR tool. A faunus being granted a scholarship by the SDC to one of the top schools in Atlas quelled the murmurs of the company's so-called 'discriminatory policies.' It also boosted the morale of the workers.

Personally, Weiss didn't understand why they needed to give a faunus combat education.

Well, Weiss mused. It wasn't like Neon Katt would ever join the White Fang. The girl was as far removed from the image of a terrorist as possible. Neon was… Neon. More interested in parties, roller skating, and the noise she called music than anything else.

"You're here for the field trip, right?" Neon asked, leaning closer. "Came to kill some Grimm with the rest of us?"

Weiss brushed a strand of her hair back into place. "Naturally."

It was the only reason she had returned to Atlas instead of staying in Mistral for longer. Unlike the rest of the students in the school, Weiss had fought Grimm before thanks to Winter. However, she wasn't about to miss an opportunity to test her skills.

"Have you seen the groups?" Neon asked, a big grin on her face. "Have you seen them?"

Since there were over a hundred students per year, it would be unthinkable to move them all at once. That was why the students had been randomly assigned groups for this exercise.

"As a matter of fact, I was just on my way to... " Weiss stopped. Her heart sank. "No."

"Yes!" Neon was jumping in place. "We're going to be group buddies! Isn't that great, Weissy!"

No. It wasn't.

It wasn't great at all.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Canonically, Neon and Weiss don't seem to have met before Vol 3. I'm changing it here since Neon's character fits my purposes. Also, I'll note that Weiss' scene is very much colored by her perspective. Weiss has lots of opinions on things. Those opinions are not necessarily accurate.**

 **Dr. Onyx's backstory is one I've wanted to touch on for some time now, and this seemed like a good place to do so. Jaune hasn't forgotten about all the stuff Adam said. Discrimination is a relatively new topic for him, so he's trying to get different perspectives. Also, I had already shown things through White Fang-aligned characters the last arc, so I wanted to show things through someone completely opposed to them this time. I must stress none of these perspectives is a "definitive" perspective. Each perspective is just that, a perspective.**

 **Anyway, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. It's better than my first draft, but that's about all I can say.**

 **Till next time!**


	20. Large Size! Part III

**As of the time I write this, Individual System has surpassed 1000 follows! I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their support.**

 **Also, I didn't get as much time to go over the chapter as I usually do, so apologies for that.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Weiss spent two hours getting ready for the day.

Even though she wasn't a morning person, Weiss got out of bed before the sun rose. She wanted to make sure she had enough time to get ready. It was an important day, and she needed to look her best. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail that fell down her back. Not a single strand was out of place. Her face was without blemish, a tasteful amount of makeup applied to it.

Myrtenaster hung at her side, Dust chambers full and ready to go. Her black school uniform was neatly-pressed, and her combat skirt was at regulation length. Some may not see any point in her actions. After all, they'd have to change into their combat clothes to fight the Grimm soon enough. It should be fine if she didn't put in as much effort as usual into her appearance.

Certainly, quite a few of her classmates had gone along with that logic. Weiss could see plenty of loosely tucked shirts and unbuttoned collars. Some girls had foregone makeup entirely.

Fools, the lot of them.

For most, this would be their first time fighting Grimm. Not her, obviously. Weiss's mettle had already been tested in battle against the creatures of Grimm and, more recently, against those hooligans from the White Fang.

In terms of combat experience, Weiss was easily superior to those around her.

However, her experience did not take away the event's importance. The occasion needed to be treated with the utmost respect. The instructors would be watching them every step of the way and grading their performance. This was not only a momentous event in their development as fighters but also an essential part of their grade.

If they couldn't bother putting in the effort to look professional, where they treating this seriously at all?

Weiss scoffed.

Of course, they weren't.

Weiss knew the statistics by heart. Of those who graduated Pleiades Academy, most wouldn't even bother applying for Atlas or any other Huntsman Academy. They would just use their diplomas to further their social positions like the greedy animals they were.

That was the way of Altas' high society.

They did not understand the honor and obligation that came with being a huntress.

They weren't like her.

Still, Weiss would be lying if she said there wasn't another reason compelling her to look her best that day. It was something she had only found out a week ago.

Winter was coming.

Weiss had already been looking forward to this excursion, even if certain events had somewhat dampened her enthusiasm. However, learning IXA would be coming along with the group had not only restored her enthusiasm, but it had magnified it tenfold. Her classmates, empty and vapid as they were, only cared about being part of the latest trends. Many were part of IXA's fan club.

Not Weiss. She was above such things. For her, IXA's presence only meant one thing.

Her sister would be there.

Weiss already knew Winter was part of whatever secret unit of the military was in charge of the armored fighter. IXA's presence during the exercise meant Winter would most likely come along with him. Winter hadn't told her anything about it, but that wasn't surprising. Her sister preferred to communicate by letter.

Some would call it old-fashioned, but not Weiss. To Weiss, it was yet another sign of how refined her sister was. No silly calls or text messages for Winter. Only lovely and elegant hand-written letters. It was always a joy to find them in the mail.

The fact that they communicated only through letters made the occasions where they met face to face all the more special. After the whole debacle in the _Argonaut_ , Weiss had been looking forward to spending some time with her sister.

Oh, and Jaune would be there too. Weiss supposed that wasn't horrible.

That morning, Weiss had boarded the school's airship along with the other members of her group. There were forty of them in total. Once the ship had taken off, they were called for a debriefing.

Weiss had never walked anywhere faster.

The students were arranged in neat columns, and Weiss stood at the front of hers. Had she been a lesser person, her body would have been vibrating in anticipation. Even with all her training in the art of self-control, Weiss still couldn't entirely stop the excited gasp that left her mouth when her sister came into view.

As always, Winter looked terrific. Weiss had seen her in her Specialist uniform once before. It had been when she had visited shortly after graduating. Her father hadn't been home back then, as was the norm. Her mother… the less said about that, the better. In the end, it had been a good chance for the sisters to spend some time together. Winter had even done her the favor of letting her train against her summons.

Sadly, she had lost the battle against them, but Weiss vowed she wouldn't let Winter down again. She would show Winter how much she had progressed during their time away from each other!

"Good morning, students. I am Specialist Winter Schnee. You will address me as Specialist Schnee," her sister began addressing the assembled students, voice full of command, her eyes carefully studying them.

"You have been gathered here today, so that you may test your mettle against the creatures of Grimm," Winter continued, hands folded behind her back. "For many of you, this will be your first taste of real combat. Others already have some experience."

Weiss stood a little straighter at that, the proud smile on her face unmistakable.

"Regardless, do not allow yourself to grow overconfident. I am sure many of you think you know all there is to know about Grimm. Allow me to dispel that notion. You do not. Aura, weapons, training. In the end, none of those things will stop the Grimm from killing you if you take them lightly."

A slight shudder went through the students at Winter's cold words. Not Weiss, though. She was not afraid.

"As we speak, this airship is taking us to a valley where a large pack of Saybers has been sighted."

Saybers. Weiss remembered them from her lessons. A species of Grimm that had adapted to the snowy weather of Solitas. They specialized in pack-hunting, and their large tusks were deadly weapons.

Overall, they were not that dissimilar to Beowolves.

"Once we land, you will go out there and kill as many as you can. We have sent soldiers ahead of the time to secure the perimeter. Your combat instructors, as well as myself, will also be there, watching your every move. However, do not let this knowledge lull you into a false sense of security. You will be in real danger. Careless mistakes will cause harm to you and your classmates, and they will not be tolerated! Is that understood?"

A few nodded. Some yeses were uttered.

Winter's eyes narrowed.

"Is. That. Understood?!"

This time all the students replied.

"Yes!"

"Better." Winter nodded. "Now, are there any questions?"

Weiss was about to raise her hand when someone else spoke.

"Will IXA really be there!?"

Weiss glared at the one who had spoken out of turn. She vaguely recognized him as one of her classmates.

Winter stared at him.

Her cold blue gaze never left the student, making him squirm in place for fifteen seconds that probably felt like fifteen minutes to him.

"In the future, you are to wait until you receive permission to speak," Winter stated. The student nodded furiously, sweat shining on his face. "Since I am sure many of you are curious, yes, IXA will be part of the security personnel. It is being transported along with us. However, make no mistake. IXA will not interfere unless necessary. Do not allow its presence to distract you from your duty and do not bother the mechanics. Any other questions?"

There were a few more questions after that. Some of which Weiss found dumb. Some of which were quite good, asking for information about the terrain and the number of Grimm they could expect to encounter.

"If that is all, I will now call your names."

Weiss couldn't help but tune out the following part. She respected her sister a lot, but even Winter couldn't make calling her classmates' names interesting. At least, until she came across one particular name.

"Neon Katt."

No one answered. No one replied. Gazes looked left and right for the student in question.

Winter's eyes narrowed.

"Where is Neon Katt?"

xXx

"-but that doesn't really matter."

Jaune's voice and face were as serious as they had ever been while he talked with Penny over the scroll.

"What's really important is that there are pancake people and waffle people. All breakfasts come down to that, Penny."

"Fascinating."

"Now, mom told me everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that doesn't mean their opinion can't be wrong." Jaune made wide gestures with his arms as he spoke, even though Penny couldn't see him. The call was sound-only. All his calls to Penny were. "People are free to like pancakes better than waffles, but that doesn't make them right."

Jaune nodded in perfect agreement with himself.

In a family as numerous as the Arc family, it was natural for people to have different preferences. In movies. In hobbies. And yeah, in food as well. This manifested with particular force when it came to breakfast, which, as far as all Arcs were concerned, was the most important meal of the day. While no Arc would say no to bacon, eggs, or sausages, it was when it came to choosing between waffles and pancakes that a stark divide appeared.

Put bluntly, the family was divided between a waffle faction and a pancake faction. Only one could claim supremacy over the breakfast table.

On outsider may foolishly wonder why they didn't just make both pancakes and waffles for breakfast or why not alternate between them. The reason was simple. Arcs never half-assed the important things in life. For better and worse, the Arcs were all about fully-assing things. It was a trait that had been passed down through generations.

Besides, cooking a full breakfast for a minimum of six people each day was a complicated affair.

Jaune considered himself lucky to be part of the waffle faction. It was the most numerous faction within the Arc family, which meant the pancake lovers were often outvoted. Sometimes, Jaune felt sorry for his few pancake-loving sisters, but really, waffles were just better.

"Waffles are the superior choice. They have tiny squares you can fill however you want, and are way more versatile than pancakes could ever hope to be."

You could even eat them with chicken! Or better yet, chicken nuggets!

Really, it was a good thing his family preferred waffles.

It'd be _really_ unfortunate if he ever got stuck with a group of pancake lovers for whatever reason.

"Sensational, I never imagined breakfast food could be such a complex subject."

"Most people don't," Jaune said with a benign smile on his face. "There are even people out there who just drink coffee every morning!"

Once upon a time, Jaune would have shuddered at such a horrible notion, but he wasn't in any position to throw stones nowadays. His own morning routine wasn't so different from that. It was only recently that Jaune had started to find the time to do anything more complicated than making a cup of coffee or pouring himself some orange juice before leaving his apartment.

"Father says coffee is the lifeblood of gods and kings. Only a few are worthy of harnessing its power."

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah, I imagine Dr. Polendina would say something like that. No offense, Penny, but I think he'd inject the stuff into his veins if he could."

"None taken. Father has done studies about the feasibility of such a thing."

Of course, he had.

"Always with the tests, that guy." Jaune shook his head, smiling.

The airship had taken off almost half an hour ago. Jaune was in the cargo hold, sitting and leaning against a big metal box strapped to the floor. It was his job to guard it since that was where IXA was stored. At least, that was what they had told Pleiades Academy. In reality, the box was full of snacks, so the crew could eat while watching the students fight.

Jaune's smile grew a little wider as he noticed yet another minute passing on his scroll's clock.

Another minute without motion sickness.

This time, Jaune hadn't forgotten to buy motion-sickness pills, not that it had been necessary. Red, Blue, and even Winter had all given him pills before the ship took off, the latter saying, "You will not embarrass the Atlas military during this mission," before pushing the pills into his hands.

He had taken the pills Winter had given him out of curiosity, and they were working surprisingly well. He was going to need to jot down the brand for future use.

Having Penny around also helped. She was pretty easy to talk to, which meant a lot coming from Jaune. He had never been all that good at making conversation with others. He always ended up getting nervous or saying something stupid, sometimes both.

With Penny, the part where his words became jumbled in his mouth had yet to happen. They just talked and played games over their scrolls. It helped that Penny didn't have one mean bone in her body. She listened to whatever he said without judging, always asking questions but never dismissing him. It made him comfortable around her.

Weird as it may sound, Jaune Arc's best friend was a girl whose face he had never seen.

"He had me doing stuff all day yesterday," Jaune commented. "Said since I was leaving today, he needed to get as much data out of me as possible."

It hadn't really gotten him any closer to mastering his Semblance.

Well, that wasn't entirely fair. Jaune could sometimes use it now, which was an improvement over how things were before. However, he still hadn't gotten the hang of willingly activating it. It just sorta happened once out of every twenty tries or so.

"... about the mission, will you be alright, Friend Jaune?"

Jaune blinked. Penny had sounded almost sad there.

"Yeah, sure. What brought that on? Are you okay, Penny?"

"I am perfectly fine." Penny hiccuped. "I function at full capacity."

"Penny…"

"I… read the mission report."

Jaune frowned. "I thought those were classified."

"Father left them on his computer."

Jaune almost sighed. To think Dr. Polendina would just leave sensitive files where his daughter could read them. Talk about careless. Really, he shouldn't be surprised. The guy let his work distract him way too easily.

"IXA's records were included in the report. It showed Friend Jaune's vitals throughout the last mission."

Oh.

If Penny had seen IXA's logs, it meant she knew how badly he had been hurt during the fight with Adam. She knew how close he had come to dying in the _Argonaut_.

For the first time, an awkward silence fell between the two friends.

"Penny, I-"

"Yoho! Anyone around here?"

The sudden intrusion made Jaune jerk his head up. As usual, Penny cut the call the moment someone else appeared. She was shy like that. He'd have to talk to her later. Jaune didn't want her to worry about him too much.

Jaune blinked as the owner of the voice walked, or rather skated, into the cargo hold.

He stared.

She was a girl. Maybe not as beautiful as someone like Winter or Weiss, but still cute in her own way with her dark pink hair, green eyes, and slim body. However, that wasn't what made Jaune stare.

It was her clothes.

He had seen the uniforms the students of Pleiades Academy wore while they were boarding. They were mostly black with skirts for the girls, pants for the guys, and blazers for all. Underneath, they wore grey button-down shirts.

All in all, it was a rather formal outfit.

This girl was not wearing that.

She wore a light blue tank top that didn't cover much and a pink combat skirt. She had bracers on her arms and pads on her shins and knees. On her feet, she had, of all things, roller skates. The girl looked around for a bit as she skated in before her eyes finally settled on Jaune.

"Hey, you!"

"Me?"

The girl was suddenly in front of Jaune.

"You're a mechanic, right?" The girl did not give Jaune time to reply. "No. Wait. I see the insignia now. Army mechanic. Got it. A bit hard to tell with that uniform, though. It's a bit drab, don't you think?"

Jaune yelped as the girl zipped around him, a literal rainbow left in her wake.

"No offense, I know the army keeps us safe and all. Serious respect for you guys, but don't you think you could stand to wear something a little more colorful? It's just… white and gray is so boooring."

Privately, Jaune agreed. He liked white as a color, but it just didn't work without something brighter to go with it. For example, the inside of Winter's collar was red. The same went for Weiss now that he thought about it.

"Well, look at me talking. It's not like I am in any position to throw stones. Pleiades' uniforms are just the worst," the girl said, leaning in and putting a hand on the side of her mouth as if sharing a secret. "I changed out of mine the second I could. Combat clothes are just so much better, don't you think so?"

That was her combat outfit?

Wait, where those nunchaku made out of _glow sticks_?

"Come on, you can answer. I won't tell anyone… eh, what was your name?"

"Jaune," he replied, slightly bewildered by how fast the girl's mouth was moving.

"Johnny. Got it. Nice to meet you, Johnny."

"That's not-"

"Name's Neon Katt. Coolest cat to ever grace Pleiades Academy!" Neon's tail waved from behind her as if to reinforce the point. "I was supposed to go to a boring debriefing, but really, who needs those? Am I right?"

Neon leisurely skated until she was right next to the sitting Jaune. Not for the first time, Jaune marveled at how good combat skirts were at avoiding anything resembling a panty shot.

"I said no to that whole thing. Been exploring the ship instead. Did you know there are a bunch of vending machines? How cheap is that? We're being taken to fight Grimm. The least they could do is give us free snacks."

Huh, so that was why Red and Blue made sure to pack snacks.

Neon knocked on the big metal box. "Hey, is IXA in here? I've been looking all over to see where they're keeping it."

"Really should have started with the cargo hold then," Jaune muttered under his breath as he stood up.

"I thought they'd keep it somewhere with more people guarding it, but this works too. Hey!" Neon was suddenly right in front of Jaune, her face inches from his. "Can I see it? I want to see the robot!"

Jaune shook his head.

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen."

"Come on, pretty please!" Neon begged, her face getting even closer to Jaune's, prompting a blush out of the boy even as he stepped back.

"Look," Jaune said, holding his hands in front of him to stop Neon from getting too close again. "I get everyone wants to see IXA, but that's not going to happen."

Mainly because there was no IXA inside the box.

"I have my orders. If you want to see IXA, you're going to have to wait until the exercice. You'll even get to take pictures."

"Really?"

Jaune was about to say yes when another voice spoke.

"I thought I smelled something rotten here."

Jaune blinked and looked to the side. This time, it wasn't just one person who had come into the hold, but a group of them, students from Pleiades Academy, about six of them. Unlike Neon, they were still wearing their school uniforms. Over half of them were girls.

"Clairey!" Neon said, cheerfully waving at them, seemingly obvious to the dark looks aimed at her.

The girl at the front of the group, Claire, Jaune guessed, frowned. She was a pale brunette with dark eyes.

"The name is Claire, faunus," Claire said. "Claire Kleid."

The last name was something Jaune distantly recognized. He had heard it on the news once or twice but couldn't quite place the context.

"You have a lot of nerve being here. Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused by missing the orientation?"

Murmurs of assent rose from her classmates, some a bit louder than others.

"Eh, I don't really care about that stuff. Didn't really seem all that important."

"Not that impo-" Claire took a deep breath, trying to calm down, even as her skin flushed with anger. "Whatever. I don't have time for you. No one here does, faunus. You!" She pointed at Jaune. "I heard enough. That box over there is IXA. Open it for us."

Jaune blinked.

Slowly.

"Am I sorry, what?"

"My classmates and I are here to see IXA," Clarie explained, motioning to herself and the people around her. "We're fans. Pipe even has a two-digit fan club membership number."

One of the boys grinned sheepishly as he raised a card. Jaune's eye twitched when he noticed it was an IXA Fan Club membership card.

Seriously, how had the IXA-craze spread so fast?

"Look, I am glad to see support for IXA." A bit. It honestly felt kind of weird. The whole thing hadn't fully sunk in for him just yet. "But I'm not about to open this for you."

That got him frowns.

"Excuse me?" Claire said. "What did you just say?

"I said no." Jaune shrugged. Beside him, Neon oohed. "Sorry, but that's not going to happen. Orders and all that."

"Do you not know who I am? You…" She looked at him up and down. "Janitor!"

"I imagine he doesn't. Just as you somehow managed to confuse him for a janitor."

In spite of wearing heels, no one had noticed when Weiss had entered the room. All gazes turned to her, some now dipped in nervousness.

"M-Miss Sc-Schnee," stuttered out Clarie, a stark contrast to her earlier attitude. "What a surprise. I did not expect you to come here. Are you here to see IXA with us?"

"Hardly," Weiss scoffed as she flipped her hair. Her eyes were cold, and her tone detached. It was a significant departure from the girl Jaune had talked with nights ago. "Specialist Schnee tasked me with informing you that the ship will land in a few minutes. It would be prudent for you to change into your combat clothes."

"O-Of course, Miss Schnee. We just need to see IXA, and then we'll be on our-"

"Kleid," Weiss interrupted.

"Yes?"

"As I understand it, your father is running for councilman. That is why it comes as such a big surprise to me that you fail to recognize something as basic as the ranks of our military."

Clarie Klied blinked. Not sure what Weiss was getting at. Weiss sighed.

"Look at the insignia on his arm," Weiss said, an elegant finger raised in Jaune's direction."Do you not pay attention in class?"

Clarie's face paled as she followed Weiss' finger.

"That's a…"

"A Warrant Officer insignia. It is not exactly a high rank, but he's still not someone a student should be able to boss around, even if he's just a mechanic. Understood?"

"I… Yes, Miss Schnee."

"Good." Weiss looked at her nails for a moment, bored. "What are you waiting for? You have orders, don't you? Leave."

The students didn't quite flee, but they did walk away as quickly as they could without looking like they were running away. Once they did, Weiss shifted her cold gaze over to Neon and Jaune. She seemed to glare at Neon with particular intensity for a moment before walking away in silence.

"Damn," Neon said, whistling. "Weissy is in fine form today."

Jaune looked at Neon. The girl did not seem the least bit bothered by what just happened. "Is that normal?"

"What, Weissy being Weissy? Sure thing. Always a bit of a grouch that one, but at least she's that way to everyone. Not like Clairey. She didn't speak up much until her dad started campaigning. She got all these hangers-on after that. An attitude to go with it too." Neon shrugged, seemingly not caring about it. "At least Weissy is always Weissy, you know? Bit too cold, though. Doesn't let anyone close. Never met anyone who needed a party so badly."

Jaune said nothing, still staring at the path Weiss had taken.

Never let anyone close, huh?

"Sooo, can I see IXA now?"

"Nope."

"Aww."

xXx

The ship landed twenty minutes later. Convincing Neon to go away so he could get changed in secret had been trying, but he'd managed it. By the time Jaune left the ship, he had done so as IXA, the elite Atlas combat droid. The students and even some of the teachers oohed and aahed upon seeing him. Some even took pictures.

Jaune noted, with no small amount of amusement, that Claire was one of those students.

"Students," a teacher said once the students had been assembled. They all stood over the snowy and rocky terrain that stretched for miles in all directions. "You have all received the best training we could give you. Today, we put that training to the test. Today, you will face the creatures of Grimm!"

The teacher paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in.

"I will explain the exercise once more before we begin. Once the bell rings, you are to go and kill as many Grimm as you can." The teacher then pointed to a small drone flying next to her. "These drones will record you at all times. You will be graded based on the number of Grimm killed as well as the efficiency of your kills. You are free to choose how you approach this test. Team up or go at it alone. The choice is yours."

Jaune could already see a few students mouthing words to each other, likely requests to team up. IXA's cameras allowed him to pick things out rather easily.

Weiss ignored all those who tried to call her attention.

No one tried to talk to Neon.

"You will be monitored at all times, and the teachers and the forces graciously provided to us by Atlas will step in if things go wrong. However, do not allow this knowledge to make you grow complacent. Whether it is a young Beowolf or a Giant Nevermore, letting your guard down against the Grimm is fatal! Fight to the best of your ability and nothing less."

Another pause. The tension spiked. Even in the cold, nervous sweat appeared on the students' faces. Eyes darted around. Muscles tensed. Teeth clenched.

The alarm sounded.

"Go!"

And they were off.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **For those who don't know, there is a** **Chinese** **RWBY phone game that's going to close down this year. It's a bit of a shame since it means it'll never come here, but from what I understand, Jaune's bio apparently introduces him as the 'waffle-loving leader of Team JNPR.'**

 **Which I just love since it'd mean Jaune likes waffles but is outvoted in Team JNPR.**

 **So yeah, Jaune is Team Waffle.**


	21. Large Size! Part IV

**This may very well be the shortest chapter in a long while. You'll have to excuse me. Been in and out of the hospital lately.**

* * *

 **Individual System**

* * *

Ring!

Ring!

Ring!

 **Salutations, you have reached the scroll of-**

Click!

Jaune sighed as he cut the call. Once again, his call ended up in Penny's voicemail. There was no point denying it. Penny was ducking his calls. While it was hardly the first time a girl had ignored him, it was the first time Jaune was ignored by a girl he was friends with. That hurt a bit, even if he understood the reason.

It bothered her that much, huh?

Well, Jaune thought, biting the inside of his cheek. He shouldn't be surprised. If he found out any of his sisters had almost died, he'd be beside himself with worry. It was no wonder Penny didn't feel like talking right now. It was probably best to give her some space. Well, Bri wouldn't, but Saphron definitely would. His eldest sister may be the huntress, but Saphron was just plain better at the whole people thing.

Jaune hummed. Maybe he should ask Winter for advice? Probably Red and Blue as well. They were bound to have more experience on what to do or say when people worried about that sort of thing compared to him.

Come to think of it, his parents had probably been in tons of situations like what happened in the _Argonaut_ , right? No. Not just them but some of his sisters as well. Bri was the eldest, so she had definitely gone on dangerous missions before.

She had probably almost died once already.

The thought drifted through Jaune's mind, a lone leaf carried by autumn's wind. It didn't send him into a panic or make him angry. It just… passed through. The realization went by so peacefully, he almost didn't notice it. It left behind an emptiness in Jaune that felt very unlike him.

He should probably call home once this mission was over.

It wasn't that he was worried about his parents or sisters dying anytime soon. No way. They were way too strong to be done in by Grimm. To Jaune, it was a given that he was weaker than his trained siblings. If he had survived the past few months, his family definitely wasn't going to bite it anytime soon.

Jaune was still going to call them the moment he got back to Atlas.

He was also going to need to visit Penny. They always talked over the scroll, but this conversation was a bit too sensitive for that. Jaune felt he needed to talk to her face-to-face, reassure her that he wasn't going to die anytime soon.

He was way too stubborn for that.

Everyone in his family always said he was too stubborn for his own good. Jaune saw no reason why it shouldn't apply here.

It was his Arc-est trait, apparently.

Sure, Jaune didn't know where Penny lived, but that was easily fixed. Dr. Polendina was in the lab all the time. Surely, he wouldn't mind letting him know, right? If he explained the whole situation to him, it should be fine.

Jaune nodded, convinced of his chosen course of action. As he did, he brought his focus back to the camera feeds being displayed on his helmet. He had already wasted way too much time thinking. He had a job to do and couldn't afford to get distracted. While the odds of something bad happening weren't high, keeping an eye on the students was his duty. Slacking off was no good.

IXA's helmet could display up to four drone feeds at once. Although there were forty students out there, it wasn't like Jaune had to keep track of forty different feeds. Most of the students had seen the wisdom in teaming up with others. There were groups of five, four, and even six fighting together. There were also a couple of pairs and trios out there. It meant the number of cameras Jaune had to cycle through wasn't much. Switching through them every minute or so was not difficult.

Well, not everyone had chosen to team up.

Weiss and Neon had chosen to go at it alone.

Or rather, Weiss had chosen to go at it alone, and Neon had been left alone. Jaune would have scratched the back of his head if he wasn't wearing IXA. He hadn't realized how much he used his arms to express himself until he started having to pretend he was a robot. Having to stand still got old pretty quick. It was like having an itch you couldn't scratch.

It would have been fine if he was alone, but one of the teachers was trying very hard to pretend she wasn't taking a selfie with him.

Jaune rolled his eyes.

Seriously, what was it with these people?

As Jaune understood it, robots were not a common sight in Mistral and Vale. It had been similar back in Mantle. However, Atlas? Atlas was the robot capital of the world! There were drones and androids everywhere. It had taken Jaune a while to get used to the sheer amount of droids one could see every day in Atlas, especially in the upper districts.

What made IXA special?

It looked damn cool. Jaune could readily admit that. He could understand if it was just the average citizen who was attracted to IXA, especially after he had been credited with stopping the White Fang. Combat Academy teachers and students, though? He'd have figured IXA would have seemed significantly more mundane to them.

Were people just that eager to welcome good news, or was that admiration born out of a sense of pride in their technological progress?

Eh, it was probably a bit of both.

Jaune wished he could talk to Bleu about this sort of stuff. She was the smart one.

A beep caught Jaune's attention. One of the camera feeds showed Weiss running into a group of Saybers, four of them. The heiress drew her sword, and with a flash of her glyphs, the battle started.

It had been weird watching Weiss interact with her classmates. Sure, Weiss had been… not the nicest person when they first met, but Jaune had chalked that up to her wanting to see her sister. Well, that and Weiss being a bit entitled. Once they had gotten past the initial friction, things had worked out fine.

Weiss had been nice when she had called him a week or so ago. Well, not nice-nice. Weiss, Jaune was learning, was very easily irritated and prone to lashing out at others. Still, there had never been any real spite there. It was just the way her temper worked. Bri was like that sometimes, so Jaune was used to it. Weiss' subsequent calls had followed a similar pattern.

Jaune had expected Weiss would have been nicer when interacting with her peers.

He had not expected her to be way colder with them than she had ever been with him.

It had been weird seeing someone as temperamental as Weiss like that. It was like he hadn't even been watching the same person. Why was that? Someone like Weiss should have no problems making friends. She was a big shot singer or something, right?

Singers were always popular. His sisters had taught him that. It was why he had practiced with the guitar so much. Jaune had hoped being able to play well would counter his lack of anything else that would make him popular.

Anyway, the point was someone like Weiss should have lots of friends. Instead, everyone but Neon seemed scared of the girl.

Jaune sighed as Weiss ran her blade through a Sayber's face.

He'd ask Winter later. She'd probably know. It wasn't like it was any of his business since he and Weiss had met not that long ago. He probably shouldn't be butting into her affairs.

But he also kind of really wanted to butt in.

That was apparently also an Arc thing.

xXx

Weiss carefully observed her enemies.

Saybers were a common species of Grimm in the frozen lands of Solitas. They were large quadrupeds with long tusks and powerful claws. Much like Beowolves resembled wolves, Saybers resembled the long-extinct Saber-Toothed Cat. There were several theories as to why that was the case.

In olden times, people believed Grimm were vengeful spirits. Thus, the Grimm looked like twisted versions of existing animals because that was exactly what they were. Of course, such theories had long since been discarded. Nowadays, the leading theory was that Grimm naturally took the shape of creatures found in nature upon spawning, although some still believed the many species of Grimm out there to be the result of natural adaptation.

Though Weiss had read several scientific articles covering the subject, she could not say she cared much for the debate.

Grimm were Grimm.

Black glyphs flashed in the ground, pushing the Saybers up and rendering them helpless. Weiss did not let the chance go to waste. Her sword sliced the beasts to ribbons. A small smile of satisfaction was smoothed down as soon as Weiss saw the camera drone flying next to her, capturing her every move.

She was a Schnee. Her every waking moment was always spent being judged by others. A camera drone following her around was nothing she couldn't handle. She'd give the teachers the best performance they had ever seen.

By the time the test was over, she would have set a new record. Weiss swore it.

Taking a look around to make sure there weren't any other Grimm nearby, Weiss took out her scroll. The students had been given a map of the area before leaving the ship. It showed the signals given off by other camera drones, a way for the students to find people to partner up with, most likely. Of course, Weiss had no intention of using it for such a thing.

Weiss only cared about the topographical data.

Grimm didn't need to eat or sleep. They didn't hunt in the same way other animals did. However, there was one thing Grimm did the same as everyone else, follow the path of least resistance.

Unless drawn by negativity, Grimm wouldn't go out of their way to traverse rough terrain. Grimm possessed a certain degree of self-preservation. It had been one of the advantages the first-settlers had back when Solitas had just been a frozen wasteland. The humans were willing to brave the freezing cold until something worked.

The Grimm weren't.

This meant that Weiss was more likely to find Grimm in the lowest parts of the valley, where the terrain was easier to cross.

She wondered how many of her classmates would realize that.

Probably not many of them. Weiss' hand tightened around Myrtenaster. To think she had to go and remind them to change! If they had gotten themselves ready from the start, she wouldn't have had to waste time with them! She'd have been able to spend her time on the ship with Winter instead of being sent away!

It wasn't Winter's fault, Weiss reminded herself.

Her sister had to be professional. She couldn't be seen being too close to her. Some people may interpret that as undue favoritism. That was why Winter had been formal when Weiss had approached her after the debriefing.

That was why Winter had sent her away to check on her classmates. That was all there was to it. If they had been alone, without any eyes watching them, they'd have been able to spend some time together. That was just the way things were. Weiss had long since gotten used to such things.

She wasn't angry.

Not one bit.

The snow before Weiss suddenly shifted as a Grimm emerged from it. Her mind cataloged it instantly. A deathstalker. It was about one foot long from its mandibles to the tip of its stinger. A young one, then. In general, deathstalkers tended to range from less than a foot all the way to five feet or so.

It was rare when one of them grew bigger than that. Giant Deathstalkers were significantly rarer than Giant Nevermores.

Weiss sword went right through the creature's body, a small thrill of satisfaction ran through her body as it did so. Black smoke emanated from it a second or two later. Weiss did not stop to savor her victory. Her combat heels crunched the snow under her feet as she continued on her path.

Growls reached Weiss's ears. She instantly recognized their owners as Saybers. Sure enough, the cat-like Grimm soon came running right at her, obviously attracted by their need to destroy that which was human.

It certainly wasn't because she was feeling particularly negative. Not at all.

Weiss was merely a little peeved she had missed the chance to spend more time with Winter. That was all.

And would it really have killed Arc to be alone when she came into the cargo hold?!

He should have been grateful that she had taken some time off her busy schedule to visit him. He should have made sure there was no one around to bother them when she came to talk! Instead, she had found him making pals with that faunus!

Weiss clicked her tongue as she froze a Sayber and shattered it into a thousand pieces.

Wasn't it his job to keep his identity as IXA a secret? Shouldn't he have been sending away an obvious irritant like Neon instead of humoring her? Well, of course, he hadn't. It didn't matter that Neon wasn't particularly attractive when she was wearing so little. Men were weak like that. Of the many things her mother had told her when drunk, that was one of the few things Weiss had actually listened to.

Another Sayber went for her throat. This one, she burned.

To make things worse, Kleid and her flunkies had shown up. As if the girl who thought roller skates were a valid alternative to combat heels hadn't been bad enough.

Clarie Kleid was one of the many social climbers that graced the halls of Pleiades Academy. Her father had political aspirations, which may bear fruit next election. Oh, who was she kidding? The man was a shoo-in. Everyone knew it. Her father had even made a generous donation to his campaign, which meant Mr. Klied was already in Jacques Schnee's pocket.

He'd be made councilman and look the other way when it came to the SDC. That was how it always went.

That was how Atlas worked.

Ever since Mr. Klied started campaigning, Claire had gathered quite a following of sycophants. The dumb girl ate up all the attention and had begun to throw her weight around, even as she sought Weiss' favor, likely on orders from her father.

Pitiful.

A small deathstalker rose from the snow. It died in less than the blink of an eye as a time-dilated Weiss kept making her way through the valley.

Two minutes after killing it, a lone thought occurred to her.

Where deathstalkers common in this part of Solitas?

xXx

"Great job, Claire!"

"You showed that Sayber who's boss."

"Naturally, we're here to ace the test, aren't we?"

Clarie Kleid laughed haughtily as the Grimm she had just killed faded into wispy smoke. However, her heart wasn't in it. In fact, it would surprise those around her to know how little her outside matched her inside.

"Where to now?" Pipe, one of the two boys in her group, asked. He was tall and handsome, very popular among the girls of Pleiades.

Months ago, he wouldn't have looked twice at her. It wasn't that Claire was, in any way, ugly. On the contrary, Claire considered herself to be quite pretty. At the very least, she had that much going for her before all this began.

"I suggest we keep moving south. The Grimm will probably follow the path of least resistance as they travel through the valley."

"What a coincidence," Claire said with a confident smile on her face. "I was just about to suggest the same thing."

"That's why you're the boss!"

What a farce.

Claire would have never thought of that on her own. She wasn't like Pipe. His father was an officer in the military, and it showed. Pipe was one of the best in their year when it came to combat, strategy, and tactics, a shoo-in for Atlas Academy as far as everyone was concerned. It was known he planned on becoming a Specialist.

Claire had never even wanted to go to combat school.

Fighting and violence were not things she enjoyed. Claire understood the world they lived in was a dangerous one, and that some people had to fight to protect it. While those people were owed respect, Claire saw no reason why she needed to join their number. She would rather learn about fashion than the many different types of Dust rounds. She'd rather have a handbag at her side than the mecha-shifting saber currently occupying that space.

Her parents had other plans for her.

Her father's political aspirations were not something that had been born overnight. It had been the result of careful planning and years of positioning himself. Having a daughter in Pleiades Academy was just another part of it. Patriotism was popular among the masses, and what better way for a candidate to show it than by having his daughter training in one of the elite combat schools of Atlas?

That was how Clarie Kleid ended up in Pleiades Academy. She hadn't earned her position. Her parents just knew the right people, and the proper favors and recommendation letters had been procured. A huntsman had been hired to unlock her Aura and gave her a few lessons a couple of months before she was sent off.

More than anyone else, Claire knew she didn't belong in Pleiades Academy. At best, she was middling when it came to skill.

Yet here she was. In a frozen valley full of hungry Grimm, surrounded by her so-called friends.

Pipe took the front. Two of her friends talked about one gossip or another with her even as they perfectly flanked her. The last two members of the group brought up the rear-guard.

They were protecting her.

They knew the one who needed the most protection in the group was her.

The treatment galled Claire, but she couldn't deny they were right. Even though just moments ago they had been praising her for killing that Sayber, Clarie knew they hadn't meant it. Pipe had already wounded it before she killed it. He had basically served it up for her on a silver platter!

The worse thing was that they all knew it.

Claire wasn't strong or smart or brave.

They just kept telling her she was because her dad was going to be a councilman.

Claire wanted to scream at them. Call them out for their fake smiles and fake friendship. To think she had been so happy when it had all began! She had enjoyed the sudden popularity, the cute boys paying attention to her, being part of a group.

Lies. All lies.

However, she wasn't brave enough to shatter the illusion. She kept going along with the farce because doing anything else would mean admitting how worthless she was.

She wasn't Weiss Schnee.

Sometimes, Claire wished she could be like her. Not for the money or her looks, but due to the way Weiss Schnee held herself. Always above everyone else, never caring one bit about what they thought. It was infuriating, yet Claire couldn't help but yearn for it.

She wished she could be that brave.

Pipe suddenly held up his hand. "I hear Grimm up ahead. Get ready, everyone!"

"More Saybers?" Someone asked. Pipe frowned and shook his head.

"No. Something else." Pipe squinted to see into the distance. Claire could barely make something out as well. At first, she thought it was the snow melting, but as it grew closer, she realized it was dozens of small Grimm moving towards them.

She had recognized them, having once thought their gold stinger was rather fetching when looking at an illustration in a textbook. They were…

"Deathstalkers!" Claire said, proud of herself for having remembered the name. The rest of the group looked at her in surprise.

"Shit!"

Claire's exaltation did not last long. Now that she had identified the problem, they could all realized the gravity of it. Deathstalkers were coming.

And there were many of them.

So. So. Many.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Just because I know someone is going to ask about this, Weiss does not have a crush on Jaune. She's just annoyed he wasn't free when she wanted to talk. She's a bit possessive since she's in a different place compared to canon here.**

 **As an aside, see if you can guess which character Claire is based on.**

 **Till next time!**


	22. Large Size! Part V

**Not going to lie, surprised I managed to get this chapter out. Also, super important AN at the bottom.**

* * *

Individual System

* * *

Some of the students fighting out there were among the best the Kingdom of Atlas had to offer.

Already Winter could discern those who were sure to enter Atlas Academy. It was only to be expected. Pleiades was one of the best combat schools in Atlas, and Atlas had the best combat schools in the world. All students underwent rigorous training. Even the weakest ones were competent fighters in their own right.

"Student #35 has killed a Grimm."

"Students #13, #5, and #21 are currently engaging the enemy."

"Student #12 has been lightly wounded. Students #23 and #1 are protecting him, but intervention may be necessary. Preparing for extraction."

The reports come one after another through Winter's headpiece while she carefully monitored the camera feeds provided by the drones. As she did, Winter couldn't help the thought that drifted through her mind.

Weiss and Jaune were better.

It was not unfair of her to think so. The truth was right before her eyes. Already Weiss had a sizeable lead in regards to the number of Grimm she had slain. Even though she was working alone, her sister was easily outperforming her classmates who had opted for working in groups.

Some would say the only reason Weiss could perform at such a level was that she had more resources available to her compared to the other students. When it came to wealth, few were peers of the Schnee family. That held true even among Atlas high society.

However, such accusations were nonsense.

Certainly, Weiss had received the best education money could buy, and Winter had done her best to train Weiss when time allowed it.

However, Weiss had also put forth a great deal of effort.

Without that effort, all the resources Weiss had at her disposal and even her considerable natural talent would have been for naught. It was the same for the others. No matter how good Pleiades was, if the students lacked the desire to better themselves, the school was wasted on them.

Effort, Winter felt, was of vital importance.

Jaune Arc was a good example of that. Her subordinate had only started training months ago, yet in that time, his efforts had borne fruit. Daily training combined with real battle experience allowed Jaune Arc to make impressive strides. He was still rough around the edges, but his large Aura worked in his favor, allowing him to perform at a better level than his skill would suggest.

If Jaune were to be taking part in this exercise, what would happen?

He'd pass. That was Winter's assessment, and she felt confident in it.

He wouldn't get the same score as Weiss, obviously. Jaune probably wouldn't even come in second or third place. He'd be, after all, competing against people with years of training, but he'd pass all the same. In another year or maybe even in less time, he'd likely be doing about as well as Weiss was now. Of course, that was not taking into account any improvements her little sister would be making during that time. Weiss was always trying to better herself.

As Winter saw her sister kill a small Deathstalker, she found herself wishing Weiss worked on her interpersonal skills as much as she did on her combat skills.

It was, perhaps, hypocritical of her to think so. Winter Schnee was someone who had been unable to form a bond with her team. Her perfectionism and demanding nature had ultimately alienated those who should have been her companions.

Leaving her team with one less member before the Vytal Festival was something Winter still occasionally felt guilty about. There were times when Winter found herself wondering what would have happened if she had made more of an effort in Atlas Academy. Perhaps, she would have been able to form a bond with them. Perhaps, she wouldn't have chosen to graduate early, already having given up on becoming friends with the people she shared a room with.

Those doubts came every now and then. They lingered but only for a few moments. The past was the past, and the present was not something she disliked. Winter was a Specialist working under the direct command of General Ironwood. Her co-workers were amicable and professional, and her young charge had proven himself numerous times.

Winter liked her life.

However, just because alienating her teammates ended up working for her did not mean Winter wanted Weiss to go through the same fate. Winter understood why Weiss kept everyone at arm's length. How she could not when she had gone through the same struggles? Always worried about people trying to use her. Always demanding more of herself to prove she was more than a name.

All the same, loneliness did not suit Weiss.

Should she have a talk with her? Winter frowned minutely. No. That may have the opposite effect. Weiss always took her criticisms far more harshly than was healthy. She may end up overcompensating in ways that defeated the point entirely.

Perhaps she should have Jaune talk to her?

The idea came out of the blue, yet Winter did not find herself disliking it. Weiss and Jaune had cooperated during the incident in the _Argonaut_. Jaune had confided what happened to her, and Weiss' subsequent letter, though carefully worded, confirmed it. More importantly, Weiss had written of Jaune Arc in an amicable way. Someone else would not have picked up on it, but Winter knew her sister.

At the very least, Weiss did not dislike Jaune Arc.

Perhaps she should encourage the two to talk? Weiss' interpersonal skills would only benefit from friendly interaction.

"Impressive, isn't she?"

"Mrs. Daisy," Winter said, greeting the woman who had approached her. Though already over seventy, Mrs. Daisy looked closer to fifty, courtesy of the Aura that rejuvenated her body. She was a tall woman with a stern face and a head full of gray hair. Even now, one could tell she had been attractive when young.

Mrs. Daisy was the oldest teacher at Pleiades Academy. She had taught several generations of students, including Winter.

"Little Weiss is one of our best," Mrs. Daisy told her, making Winter raised an eyebrow.

"Not the best?"

That would not do. Even if this was her old teacher, she'd have to be shown the error of her ways. Though Weiss had her flaws, her little sister was the best. No one was allowed to say otherwise.

Mrs. Daisy smiled amusedly, almost as if seeing her thoughts. "Certainly, your sister is a strong fighter. She reminds me much of you at that age. All the other teachers agree on that."

Winter fought a grimace. Yet another obstacle in Weiss' way. By going to the same school she had gone to, Weiss had set herself up to be compared to her older sister. She had never mentioned such a thing in her letters, yet Winter felt foolish for not having anticipated that possibility.

"However, little Winter, I am sure you know it takes more than strength to be a huntress. Huntsmen Academies assign teams for a reason." Mrs. Daisy raised an eyebrow at her. Winter instantly felt judged. "A lesson that I am sad to see, I was unable to impart on you."

This time Winter did grimace.

She knew. Of course, she knew.

"Huntsmen and huntresses need to work in teams. The Grimm are not a threat that a lone individual can hope to overcome," Mrs. Daisy continued. "Little Weiss is talented. That is undeniable, but that talent has allowed her to stand on her own without relying on others. I cannot stop her from graduating. Just as I could not stop you from doing the same. Much like you, little Weiss will be one of the brightest students to ever graduate from Pleiades."

Mrs. Daisy left it at that. She did not continue, letting her gaze drift to the screens. There was no need for her to say something she and Winter both understood.

Weiss would graduate without trouble, but would she really be able to become a proper huntress if she stayed the way she was?

"Rest assured, I will do my best to ensure Weiss—" Winter suddenly stopped, frowning as she noticed something on the screen. Her hand was already tapping her headpiece. "Zoom in on Camera 8."

"My word!"

Once again, Winter found herself agreeing with her old teacher, though for far more urgent reasons this time.

It was a swarm of Deathstalkers.

None of them seemed to be over five feet long. Most seemed closer to one foot long or even less, but that did not make them any less dangerous. Quantity had a quality of its own. It was a little known fact that more huntsman died to Beowolves than to any other species of Grimm out there. While they were one of the weakest species of Grimm, Beowolves were also the most numerous.

Many tired huntsmen on the way back from a mission had met their end to a pack of Beowolves.

"Squads 2 and 4, prepare for extraction. Everyone else, maintain the perimeter," Winter ordered.

"Wait," Mrs. Daisy said, pointing to the other cameras. "Look, there is more."

Winter instantly saw what she was talking about. Cameras 3, 5, and 7. Though not as large, those students had also encountered groups of Deathstalkers.

It didn't make any sense.

Deathstalkers were not native to Anima. The cold and snow did not agree with them. They were more common in the forests of Vale or the deserts of Vacuo. To see so many of them in a place like this was bizarre.

Regardless, the reason didn't matter right now. What was important was dealing with the threat before the students were overwhelmed. Winter could easily pull the students out by ordering all forces to go in, but doing so would break the perimeter. Letting such a large swarm of Deathstalkers get away could have negative repercussions.

She needed to go in.

Winter turned towards Mrs. Daisy, but the woman cut her off before she could even open her mouth.

"Go," the old huntress said, waving a hand dismissively in her direction. "I am not so senile that I cannot oversee the operation in your stead."

Winter was already running, not even pausing to thank her old teacher. She'd do it later. Right, there was just one thing left to do.

"IXA! Prepare for deployment!"

xXx

Claire Kleid was running for her life.

She swung her arms and lifted her knees just like the instructors had taught her, keeping her shoulders loose and her elbows between her chest and waist. Back then, the whole thing had seemed dumb to her. Who needed to be taught how to run?

As it turned out, her.

A fresh layer of snow covered the valley, causing her feet to sink about two inches over her ankles anytime she took a step. Aura empowered her body, granting her speed and strength beyond that of regular people. Yet, the snow slowed her down all the same.

It slowed everyone down.

Her friends were running alongside her. Well, alongside her was probably not the best term to use. Claire was not particularly fast compared to the others, so already quite a few were pulling ahead of her. They showed no signs of slowing down to let her catch up. Instead, they just kept going, the gap between them growing wider with every step.

If the circumstances were less bleak, Claire would have laughed. To think they had been guarding her so fiercely when the exercise began.

When the Deathstalkers had shown up, their first instinct had been to shoot them before they could get close, and indeed, they had done just that. Guns had been fired. Grenades had been launched. Pipe's mace turned into a canon. Claire hadn't known it could do that until the cannonball was already on its way to meet the Deathstalker swarm.

It hadn't worked.

Oh sure, they had killed a lot of Deathstalkers, probably over a hundred of the critters. However, they just kept coming. It was an unending horde, and Clarie just couldn't wrap her head around their presence. Where had they come from? How had they not noticed them until now?

Those were questions for later, preferably once she was back in the dorm with a hot cup of cocoa with little marshmallows on top.

"Keep running!"

"Someone throw something at them!"

"I'm out of grenades!"

"Shit, they're gaining on us!"

"Look! Up ahead!"

It was Pipe who spoke and Pipe who pointed at what lay ahead of them. The terrain rose sharply about a hundred yards away, a mountain breaking the smoothness of the valley. It was sharp, rocky, and covered in ice and snow.

It was probably a pain to climb.

"We need to climb it," Pipe predictably said. "The Deathstalkers won't be able to follow!"

No one argued with that. They all immediately understood it was their best way out of this mess. If there were better alternatives, they couldn't think of them at the moment.

They just needed to cross a hundred yards of snow before the Deathstalkers got to them.

Under other circumstances, it'd have been a cinch. Even the slowest among them could cross a hundred yards in under six seconds. However, they had been walking around the valley all morning and were tired from fighting Grimm. No one was at their best.

In the end, something had to give.

"Ack!

Claire cried out as a faltering step led her to fall with a twisted ankle no more than five yards away from the foot of the mountain. The others had already started climbing. Claire raised her hand towards them.

"Wait!"

One set of eyes looked back at her… and then guiltily looked away.

Claire's stomach dropped. Her hand stayed frozen in place even as the Deathstalkers got closer, a statue of marble against the harsh landscape.

Of course.

What else had she been expecting? From the beginning, those people were never her friends. They just gathered around her because her father was a future councilman. Come to think of it, now that she was about to die, her father was guaranteed to win the election, wasn't he?

People always loved a good tragedy.

To bad for her so-called friends. She couldn't imagine her parents would be happy that they left her to die, not that she ever expected anything from them. They weren't her friends. They never had been.

So why did she feel so betrayed?

"Look out!"

Pipe crashed down in front of her. His mace smashing the Deathstalkers that had been getting close to her, creating a shockwave that sent the snow flying everywhere.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Pipe didn't give her time to answer before he hauled her up. Claire winced. Her ankle hurt, yet she needed to bear with it.

"You came back…"

"Of course I came back!" Pipe yelled as he furiously swung his large mace around so fast it blurred through the air. "If you can talk, start shooting!"

Claire did so. Her saber mecha-shifted into gun-form. She shot without aiming as Pipe moved around. With so many enemies, there was no need to aim. Deathstalker after Deathstalker was killed, fading into black smoke. There were so many dead that the smoke started clouding their vision.

Yet it was for naught.

The ocean of black kept advancing, surrounding them. Tiny stings and pincers started biting into their Aura, negligible on their own, yet they added up.

"Forget about me!" Claire said. "I'm slowing you down! Get to safety."

He could still save himself. Out of her group of hangers-on, Pipe was the one with a future. He'd make a good Specialist.

"If I do that, you'll die!" Pipe crushed a Deathstalker that had climbed to his face as he spoke.

"If you don't, we'll both die!" Claire shouted back, stabbing one of the critters. "You don't have to do this just because my father is going to win the election!"

"What? You think that's why I'm doing this?"

He sounded so shocked Claire would have paused to stare if she weren't so busy fighting for her life, her sword stabbing at everything around her.

"Don't treat me like an idiot!" The rage and indignation Claire had felt for months empowered her movements as she let it run loose through her body. "I know that's why everyone follows me around."

"That's stupid!" Pipe said. Even though he was getting weaker, his mace smashed into the ground with greater force this time, as if he too was channeling his frustration. "I'm saving you because that's the fucking right thing to do!"

He paused for a second.

"Also, I think you're pretty hot."

Claire blinked.

"What?"

She was hot?

Well, of course she was, but knowing Pipe thought so too would have made her happy if she weren't about to die.

"I said—"

"Coming through!"

A rainbow tore through the wave of black, and, to Claire's utter shock, it was Neon Katt's face came out of it.

"No time to talk!" The faunus said as she grabbed Pipe and Claire and slung them over her shoulders like sacks of potatoes. Despite her small size, the girl sped through the hole she had torn in the horde of Deathstalkers, boosted by her Semblance and roller skates. Even with both of them on her back, Neon moved so fast the world around Claire became a blur.

Two seconds.

That was all it took for inky black to be replaced by snowy white. Neon kept moving until the Grimm were just a black spot in the distance.

"Gosh, almost cut it too close there," Neon said, panting a little. She was sweating. Her skin was paler than Claire had ever seen it.

"You… you saved us?" Claire half-stated, half-asked. She couldn't believe what just happened.

"Sure did, Clairey," Neon said, giving her a very informal salute. "Wish I could stay and talk, but there's still lots of students out there. Gotta keep running."

"Wait, but—"

"Use your scroll to contact the teachers. They're already pulling people out. See you soon! Bye, Clairey! Bye, Iridium!"

"Don't call me that."

Neon was already gone by the time Pipe spoke, his fist shaking in the air. The youth shook his head.

"Why is my name the only one she doesn't get wrong?"

Still dazed, Claire turned to look at Pipe.

His leg was missing.

She almost screamed before she realized the full truth. There was no blood, and Pipe did not seem to be any pain. Instead, what was below his calf was half-torn machinery.

"I didn't realize," Claire said. Pipe noticed her stare and looked away.

"Yeah, well, it's not something I like to talk about."

"I am sorry." Claire felt she had to say it. "I didn't mean to stare."

"No, it's... it's okay," Pipe said, his breathing was still heavy. "Look, about what you said earlier, about how you think I'm only hanging out with you because of your dad."

"I didn't mean to—"

"Nah, you did, and that's fine," Pipe said. "I'm not going to lie and say my old man didn't point you out to me, and I'm not going to say what the others did back there wasn't shitty 'cause it was. I just want you to know I hang out with you because I want to hang out with you. Just making that clear."

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

A moment of silence fell between the two. Just the sound of their heavy breathing in the cold emptiness.

"So… You think I'm hot?"

xXx

Glyph.

Lightning Dust.

Jump.

Glyph. Glyph. Glyph.

Time dilation.

Ice Dust.

A flash of blue and white surged around Weiss, freezing her foes and granting her a temporary reprieve. The frozen shapes of the Deathstalkers and Saybers around her blocked the way for their still moving brethren.

Embarrassing as it was to admit it, every second she could use to get her breath back was a good one.

The Deathstalkers had not seemed like a threat at the start, and indeed, they hadn't been one. It was only when their numbers started to swell to unreasonable extremes that things had taken a turn for the worse. Though it hurt her pride to admit it, retreat was the only option. Weiss could not hope to overcome all these Grimm on her own.

Already she could see the smallest of the Deathstalkers crawling over the frozen Saybers. She needed to put some distance between them and her soon.

Weiss grimaced.

Her hands reached for a vial of Fire Dust but stopped mid-motion. No. Fire Dust would not help in this situation. The heat would burn the Grimm, but it would also melt the snow. Melted snow would make it harder to move around, and the steam would cloud her vision. It would be more of a hindrance for her than it would be for the Grimm.

Earth Dust it was, then.

A jagged spike of earth shot up, breaking through the layer of snow, forcing the Grimm away. One of the frozen Grimm fell and shattered. Weiss paid it no mind.

Three glyphs illuminated the snowy landscape.

Weiss jumped once then twice, then two more times, moving from one Glyph to another before landing on the snow and breaking into a run.

The Saybers chased after her, pulling ahead of the Deathstalkers if only by a little.

In a way, that was a good thing.

It was rare when two species of predators cooperated with each other. In fact, even among animals of the same species, cooperation was not always assured. However, Grimm were not animals. It didn't matter how many different types of Grimm there were out there, they were all still just Grimm. A Beowolf and Ursa will never fight over territory. It didn't work that way.

Off the top of her head, Weiss could name five different studies that explained how unlikely it was for Grimm to fight one another.

The urge to destroy humans override all other instincts.

That ensured the Saybers and the Deathstalkers worked together. One could be forgiven for thinking that should be a negative. Since the Saybers were at the head of the pack, they ended up getting in the way of the Deathstalkers. The scorpion-like Grimm couldn't get close to Weiss without accidentally hurting the Saybers.

Another vial of Earth Dust was loaded to her blade. With a wave, Weiss summoned multiple walls to get in the way of her pursuers. Her eyes narrowed upon noticing she was starting to run out of Earth Dust. She usually didn't keep much with her. Earth Dust did not suit her fighting style as its applications were mostly defensive.

At the rate she was using it, Weiss would run out of Earth Dust in a couple of minutes. A quick glance to the map on her scroll confirmed that wouldn't be nearly enough time to get back to the ship.

"Student #35, respond! Student #35!"

It took a moment for Weiss to realize the voice was coming from her scroll. The drone assigned to her had been long destroyed by the Grimm.

"Student #35, Weiss Schnee, reporting. I am under attack by Grimm and on my way back to the ship."

"Good! Maintain your course. Specialist Schnee has already—"

Specialist Schnee? Winter?

A gurgle of static cut the man's voice, yet hope bloomed in Weiss' heart all the same. Her sister was on her way. Her sister was going to save her! No, even better! She and her sister were going to beat back these Grimm!

 **IXA Knuckle**

Weiss blinked. Wait, what was th—

 **Rise Up!**

He crashed into the snowy fields full of Grimm like a comet. His burning fist made the snow explode and melt in an instant, scattering steam all around as the Grimm faded into black smoke. Even as Weiss covered her face, she wanted to berate him for lowering their visibility.

Though considering how advanced his suit was, all the steam probably didn't hamper him the slightest.

"Hi, Weiss!" Jaune's voice was as cheerful and clueless as always. "If anyone asks, I totally said a cool one-liner here."

"Winter sent you?" Weiss asked, as her blade slashed one of the Death Stalkers that had survived Jaune's sudden drop. She tried not to sound too disappointed. This was an emergency. Regardless of how she felt, spending time with Winter was not a priority.

Jaune's fist smashed into a Sayber. The impact was so strong it easily blew away all the steam around them.

"Yeah," He replied, moving to stand beside her. "She knows you know, so she thought it'd be better if I worked with you to rescue the students."

Surprised appeared on Weiss' face. "Rescue?"

Winter wasn't telling her to retreat?

"Winter says she trusts you to aid in the rescue efforts."

Winter… trusted…

"I'll do it!"

There was no hesitation in her voice, not a sliver of doubt in her eyes. At that moment, the smile on her face could have even been called angelic.

"Great!" IXA flashed a quick thumbs up at her before stomping on a Death Stalker. "I have a map of all the student's locations in my helmet. Once we finish cleaning things up here, we can move to—Uh?"

Jaune was not alone in his surprise. The ground below had suddenly started to shake.

An earthquake? Now of all times?

"This… Weiss, move!"

Weiss yelped rather ungracefully as Jaune tackled her out of the way. The impact took about three percent of her Aura and launched them several yards back.

"What do you think you're doing!?" An irate Weiss asked. However, that didn't last long. In just a few more seconds, she realized the same thing IXA's scanners had shown Jaune.

It wasn't an earthquake.

Earth and snow broke apart as its massive form rose from the depths.

Pincers larger than a van clacked ominously. Snow and dirt fell away as its massive exoskeleton-covered body revealed itself. Two red orbs looked at them with malice.

It was a Giant Deathstalker, one much larger than any variant Weiss had read about. Its ominous stinger swayed above it.

It glowed green.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **Okay, first things first, November's been kicking my ass, and December doesn't look like it's going to be much better. I've some medical stuff coming up that's going to take most of my time. For that reason, there's not going to be a November update of _The Jaune-Shots_. In fact, I'll cover my bases right away and say this:**

 **There will be no updates at all during December.**

 **I know that's going to disappoint a lot of people, but I have way too much stuff on my plate right now. That said, you can expect updates to resume in January… unless my medical stuff goes really bad, but let's not think about that.**

 **Anyway, on the actual chapter. When you think about it, Beacon is not the first school our characters went to. Some went to combat school. The idea of characters meeting their previous teachers was one that interested me. Hence Mrs. Daisy.**

 **Pipe's real name is Iridium. He's a Steadfast Iridium Soldier.**

 **I'm pretty sure some people can already guess where that's going. Kudos to you.**

 **How can Neon and Weiss run around in the snow in skates/heels? Aura.**

 **Also, since someone is going to ask about it, Winter's estimates refer to Jaune without IXA.**

 **Next chapter will be Jaune and Weiss vs. Merlot's Deathstalker! It's going to take a while to come out, but on the bright side, that means I have more time to plan it!**

 **Till next time!**


End file.
